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CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 



OUTING ADVENTURE LIBRARY 

CAPTIVES AMONG THE 
INDIANS 



First-hand Narratives of Indian Wars, 
Customs, Tortures, and Habits of L||^ f^ 

J 

.es 



in Colonial Times 



EDITED BY 

HORACE KEPHART 




NUMBER 3 



NEW YORK 

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY 

MCMXV 



H3l/S^ '^-'^ 




COPYRIG 

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY 



All rights reserved 



CONTENTS 

I Colonel James Smith's Life Among the 

Delawares, 1755-1759 9 

II Father Bressani's Captivity Among the 

IroquoiSj 1644 117 

III Captivity of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson 

Among the Indians of Massachu- 
setts, 1676 143 

IV Capture and Escape of Mercy Harbi- 

son, 1792 210 



CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 



CAPTIVES AMONG THE 
INDIANS 



COL. JAMES SMITH S LIFE AMONG THE 
DELAWAEES, 1755-1759 

James Smith, pioneer, was born in Franklin county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1737. When he was eighteen years 
of age he was captured by the Indians, was adopted 
into one of their tribes, and lived with them as one of 
themselves until his escape in 1759. 

He became a lieutenant under General Bouquet dur- 
ing the expedition against the Ohio Indians in 1764, 
and was captain of a company of rangers in Lord Dun- 
more's War. In 1775 he was promoted to major of 
militia. He served in the Pennsylvania convention in 
1776, and in the assembly in 1776-77. In the latter 
year he was commissioned colonel in command on 
the frontiers, and performed distinguished services. 

Smith moved to Kentucky in 1788. He was a mem- 
ber of the Danville convention, and represented Bour- 
bon county for many years in the legislature. He died 
in Washington county, Kentucky, in 1812. 



10 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

The following narrative of his experience as mem- 
ber of an Indian tribe is from his own book entitled 
"Remarkable Adventures in the Life and Travels of 
Colonel James Smith," printed at Lexington, Kentucky, 
in 1799. It affords a striking contrast to the terrible 
experiences of the other captives whose stories are re- 
published in this book; for he was well treated, and 
stayed so long with his red captors that he acquired 
expert knowledge of their arts and customs, and deep 
insight into their character. (Editor.) 

IN May, 1755, the province of Penn- 
sylvania agreed to send out three hun- 
dred men, in order to cut a wagon- 
road from Fort Loudon, to join Braddock's 
road, near the Turkey Foot, or three forks 
of Youghigheny. My brother-in-law, Wil- 
liam Smith, Esq., of Conococheague, was 
appointed commissioner, to have the over- 
sight of these road-cutters. 

Though I was at that time only eighteen 
years of age, I had fallen violently in love 
with a young lady, whom I apprehended 
was possessed of a large share of both beauty 
and virtue; but being born between Venus 
and Mars, I concluded I must also leave my 



SMITH AMONG THE DEL AW ARES 11 

dear fair one, and go out with this company 
of road-cutters to see the event of this cam- 
paign; but still expecting that some time in 
the course of this summer I should again 
return to the arms of my beloved. 

We went on with the road, without inter- 
ruption, until near the Alleghany mountain ; 
when I was sent back in order to hurry up ^'- 
some provision- wagons that were on the way #%• k< 
after us. I proceeded down the road as far ^7° Ph 
as the crossings of Juniata, where, finding ■'§ p^ 
the wagons were coming on as fast as pos-^.\^ [^ 
sible, I returned up the road again towards V%^ 
the Alleghany mountain, in company with ''"-;>^- 
one Arnold Vigoras. About four or five 
miles above Bedford, three Indians had 
made a blind of bushes, stuck in the ground 
as though they grew naturally, where they 
concealed themselves, about fifteen yards 
from the road. Wlien we came opposite to 
them they fired upon us, at this short dis- 
tance, and killed my fellow-traveller, yet 
their bullets did not touch me ; but my horse 




12 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

making a violent start, tlii'ew me, and the 
Indians immediately ran up and took me 
prisoner. The one who laid hold on me was 
a Canasatauga, the other two were Dela- 
wares. One of them c6uld speak English, 
and asked me if there were any more white 
men coming after. I told them not any 
near that I knew of. Two of these Indians 
stood by me, while the other scalped my com- 
rade; they then set off and ran at a smart 
rate through the woods, for about fifteen 
miles, and that night we slept on the Alle- 
ghany mountain without fire. 

The next morning they divided the last 
of their provisions which they had brought 
from Fort Du Quesne, and gave me an 
equal share, which was about two or three 
ounces of mouldy biscuit; this and a young 
ground-hog, about as large as a rabbit, 
roasted, and also equally divided, was all 
the provision we had until we came to the 
Loyal Hannan, which was about fifty miles ; 
and a great part of the way we came through 



SMITH AMONG THE DEL AW ARES 13 

exceeding rocky laurel-thickets without any 
path. When we came to the west side of 
Laurel hill, they gave the scalp halloo, as 
usual, which is a long yell or halloo for every 
scalp or prisoner they have in possession; 
the last of these scalp halloos were followed 
with quick and sudden shrill shouts of joy 
and triumph. On their performing this, we 
were answered by the firing of a number of 
guns on the Loyal Hannan, one after an- 
other, quicker than one could count, by 
another party of Indians who were en- 
camped near where Ligonier now stands. 
As we advanced near this party, they in- 
creased with repeated shouts of joy and tri- 
mnph ; but I did not share with them in their 
excessive mirth. When we came to this 
camp we found they had plenty of turkeys 
and other meat there; and though I never 
before ate venison without bread or salt, yet 
as I was hungry it relished very well. 
There we lay that night, and the next morn- 
ing the whole of us marched on our way for 



14 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

Fort Du Quesne. The night after we 
joined another camp of Indians, with nearly 
the same ceremony, attended with great 
noise, and apparent joy, among all except 
one. The next morning we continued our 
march, and in the afternoon we came in full 
view of the fort, which stood on the point, 
near where Fort Pitt * now stands. We 
then made a halt on the bank of the Alle- 
ghany, and repeated the scalp halloo, which 
was answered by the firing of all the firelocks 
in the hands of both Indians and French 
who were in and about the fort, in the afore- 
said manner, and also the great guns, which 
were followed by the continued shouts and 
yells of the different savage tribes who were 
then collected there. 

As I was at this time unacquainted with 
this mode of firing and yelling of the savages, 
I concluded that there were thousands of 
Indians there ready to receive General Brad- 
dock ; but what added to my surprise, I saw 

* Pittsburgh. 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 15 

numbers running towards me, stripped 
naked, excepting breech-clouts, and painted 
in the most hideous manner, of various 
colors, though the principal color was ver- 
milion, or a bright red; yet there was an- 
nexed to this black, brown, blue, etc. As 
they approached, they formed themselves 
into two long ranks, about two or three rods 
apart. I was told by an Indian that could 
speak English that I must run betwixt these 
ranks, and that thej'^ would flog me all the 
way as I ran; and if I ran quick, it would 
be so much the better, as they would quit 
when I got to the end of the ranks. There 
appeared to be a general rejoicing around 
me, yet I could find nothing like joy in my 
breast ; but I started to the race with all the 
resolution and vigor I was capable of exert- 
ing, and found that it was as I had been 
told, for I was flogged the whole way. 
When I had got near the end of the lines I 
was struck with something that appeared to 
me to be a stick, or the handle of a toma- 



16 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

hawk, which caused me to fall to the ground. 
On my recovering my senses I endeavored 
to renew my race ; but, as I arose, some one 
cast sand in my eyes, which blinded me so 
that I could not see where to run. They 
continued beating me most intolerably, until 
I was at length insensible; but before I lost 
my senses I remember mj'' wishing them to 
strike the fatal blow, for I thought they in- 
tended killing me, but apprehended they 
were too long about it. 

The first thing I remember was my being 
in the fort amidst the French and Indians, 
and a French doctor standing by me, who 
had opened a vein in my left arm: after 
which the interpreter asked me how I did. 
I told him I felt much pain. The doctor 
then washed my wounds, and the bruised 
places of my body with French brandy. As 
I felt faint, and the brandy smelt well, I 
asked for some inwardly, but the doctor told 
me, by the interpreter, that it did not suit 
my case. 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 17 

When they found I could speak, a number 
of Indians came around me, and examined 
me, with threats of cruel death if I did not 
tell the truth. The first question they asked 
me was how many men were there in the 
party that were coming from Pennsylvania 
to join Braddock? I told them the truth, 
that there were three hundred. The next 
question was, were they well armed? I told 
them they were all well armed (meaning the 
arm of flesh ) , for they had only about thirty 
guns among the whole of them ; which if the 
Indians had known they would certainly 
have gone and cut them all off; therefore I 
could not in conscience let them laiow the 
defenceless situation of these road-cutters. 
I was then sent to the hospital, and carefully 
attended by the doctors, and recovered 
quicker than what I expected. 

Some time after I was there, I was visited 
by the Delaware Indian already mentioned, 
who was at the taking of me, and could 
speak some English. Though he spoke but 



18 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

bad English, yet I found him to be a man 
of considerable understanding. I asked him 
if I had done anything that had offended the 
Indians which caused them to treat me so 
unmercifully. He said no; it was only an 
old custom the Indians had, and it was like 
"how do you do"; after that, he said, I 
would be well used. I asked him if I should 
be admitted to remain with the French. 
He said no; and told me that as soon as I 
recovered, I must not only go with the In- 
dians, but must be made an Indian myself. 
I asked him what news from Braddock's 
army. He said the Indians spied them 
every day, and he showed me, by making 
marks on the ground with a stick, that Brad- 
dock's army was advancing in very close 
order, and that the Indians would surround 
them, take trees, and (as he expressed it) 
shoot um clown all one pigeon. 

Shortly after this, on the 9th day of July, 
1755, in the morning, I heard a great stir in 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 19 

the fort. As I could then walk with a staff 
in my hand, I went out of the door, which 
was just by the wall of the fort, and stood 
upon the wall, and viewed the Indians in a 
huddle before the gate, where were barrels 
of powder, bullets, flints, etc., and every one 
taking what suited. I saw the Indians also 
march off in rank entire ; likewise the French 
Canadians, and some regulars. After view- 
ing the Indians and French in different posi- 
tions, I computed them to be about four 
hundred, and wondered that they attempted 
to go out against Braddock with so small a 
party. I was then in high hopes that I 
would soon see them fly before the British 
troops, and that General Braddock would 
take the fort and rescue me. 

I remained anxious to know the event of 
this day; and, in the afternoon, I again ob- 
served a great noise and commotion in the 
fort, and though at that time I could not 
understand French, yet I found that it was 



20 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

the voice of joy and triumph, and feared 
that they had received what I called bad 
news. 

I had observed some of the old-country 
soldiers speak Dutch: as I spoke Dutch, I 
went to one of them, and asked him what 
was the news. He told me that a runner 
had just arrived, who said that Braddock 
would certainly be defeated ; that the Indians 
and French had surrounded him, and were 
concealed behind trees and in gullies, and 
kept a constant fire upon the English, and 
that they saw the English falling in heaps, 
and if they did not take the river, which was 
the only gap, and make their escape, there 
would not be one man left alive before sun- 
down. The morning after the battle I saw 
Braddock's artillery brought into the fort; 
the same day I also saw several Indians in 
British officers' dress, with sash, half-moon, 
laced hats, etc., which the British then 
wore. 

A few days after this the Indians de- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 21 

manded me, and I was obliged to go with 
them. I was not yet well able to march, 
but they took me in a canoe up the Alle- 
ghany River to an Indian town that was on 
the north side of the river, about forty miles 
above Fort Du Quesne. Here I remained 
about three weeks, and was then taken to an 
Indian town on the west branch of Muskin- 
gum, about twenty miles above the forks, 
which was called Tullihas, inhabited by 
Delawares, Caughnewagas, and Mohicans. 
The day after my arrival at the aforesaid 
town a number of Indians collected about 
me, and one of them began to j)ull the hair 
out of my head. He had some ashes on a 
piece of bark, in which he frequently dipped 
his fingers in order to take the firmer hold, 
and so he went on, as if he had been plucking 
a turkey, until he had all the hair clean out 
of my head except a small spot about three 
or four inches square on my crown ; this they 
cut off with a pair of scissors, excepting three 
locks, which they dressed up in their own 



22 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

mode. Two of these they wrapped round 
with a narrow beaded garter made by them- 
selves for that purpose, and the other they 
plaited at full length, and then stuck it full 
of silver brooches. After this they bored 
my nose and ears, and fixed me off with ear- 
rings and nose jewels; then they ordered me 
to strip off my clothes and put on a breech- 
clout, which I did; they then painted my 
head, face, and body in various colors. 
They put a large belt of wampum on my 
neck, and silver bands on my hands and 
right arm ; and so an old chief led me out in 
the street, and gave the alarm halloo, coo- 
wighj, several times repeated quick; and on 
this, all that were in the town came rmming 
and stood round the old chief, who held me 
by the hand in the midst. As I at that time 
knew nothing of their mode of adoption, and 
had seen them put to death all they had 
taken, and as I never could find that they 
saved a man alive at Braddock's defeat, I 
made no doubt but they were about putting 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 23 

me to death in some cruel manner. The old 
chief, holding me by the hand, made a long 
speech, very loud, and when he had done, he 
handed me to three young squaws, who led 
me by the hand down the bank, into the 
river, until the water was up to our middle. 
The squaws then made signs to me to plunge 
myself into the water, but I did not under- 
stand them ; I thought that the result of the 
council was that I should be drowned, and 
that these young ladies were to be the execu- 
tioners. They all three laid violent hold of 
me, and I for some time opposed them with 
all my might, which occasioned loud laughter 
by the multitude that were on the bank of 
the river. At length one of the squaws 
made out to speak a little English (for I 
believe they began to be afraid of me), and 
said no hurt you. On this I gave myself up 
to their ladyships, who were as good as their 
word; for though they plunged me under 
water, and washed and rubbed me severely, 
yet I could not say they hurt me much. 



24 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

These young women then led me up to the 
council-house, where some of the tribe were 
ready with new clothes for me. They gave 
me a new ruffled shirt, which I put on, also 
a pair of leggings done off with ribbons and 
beads, likewise a pair of moccasons and 
garters dressed with beads, porcupine quills, 
and red hair — also a tinsel-laced cappo. 
They again painted my head and face with 
various colors, and tied a bunch of red 
feathers to one of those locks they had left 
on the crown of my head, which stood up 
five or six inches. They seated me on a 
bearskin, and gave me a pipe, tomahawk, 
and pole-cat skin pouch, which had been 
skinned pocket fashion, and contained to- 
bacco, killegenico, or dry sumach leaves, 
which they mix with their tobacco; also 
spunk, flint, and steel. When I was thus 
seated, the Indians came in dressed and 
painted in their grandest manner. As they 
came in they took their seats, and for a con- 
siderable time there was a profound silence 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 25 

— every one was smoking; but not a word 
was spoken among them. At length one 
of the chiefs made a speech, which was de- 
livered to me by an interpreter, and was as 
foUoweth: "My son, you are now flesh of 
our flesh, and bone of our bone. By the 
ceremony which was performed this day 
every drop of white blood was washed out 
of your veins ; you are taken into the Caugh- 
newaga nation, and initiated into a war- 
like tribe; you are adopted into a great 
family, and now received with great serious- 
ness and solemnity in the room and place 
of a great man. After what has passed 
this day, you are now one of us by an old 
strong law and custom. My son, you have 
now nothing to fear — we are now under the 
same obligations to love, support, and de- 
fend you that we are to love and to defend 
one another; therefore, you are to consider 
yourself as one of our people." At this 
time I did not believe this fine speech, espe- 
cially that of the white blood being washed 



26 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

out of me ; but since that time I have found 
out that there was much sincerity in said 
speech; for, from that day, I never knew 
them to make any distinction between me 
and themselves in any respect whatever until 
I left them. If they had plenty of clothing, 
I had plenty ; if we were scarce, we all shared 
one fate. 

After this ceremony was over I was in- 
troduced to my new kin, and told that I was 
to attend a feast that evening, which I did. 
And as the custom was, they gave me also a 
bowl and a wooden spoon, which I carried 
with me to the place where there was a 
number of large brass kettles full of boiled 
venison and green corn ; every one advanced 
with his bowl and spoon, and had his share 
given him. After this, one of the chiefs 
made a short speech, and then we began to 
eat. 

Shortly after this I went out to hunt in 
company with Mohawk Solomon, some of 
the Caughnewagas, and a Delaware Indian 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 27 

that was married to a Cauglinewaga squaw. 
We travelled about south from this town, 
and the first night we killed nothing, but 
we had with us green corn, which we roasted 
and ate that night. The next day we en- 
camped about twelve o'clock, and the hunters 
turned out to hunt, and I went down the 
run that we encamped on, in company with 
some squaws and boys, to hunt plums, which 
we found in great plenty. On my return to 
camp I observed a large piece of fat meat; 
the Delaware Indian, that could talk some 
English, observed me looking earnestly at 
this meat, and asked me, "What meat j^ou 
think that is?" I said I supposed it was 
bear meat; he laughed, and said, "Ho, all 
one fool you, beal now elly pool," and point- 
ing to the other side of the camp, he said, 
"Look at that skin, you think that beal 
skin?" I went and lifted the skin, which 
appeared like an ox-hide; he then said, 
"What skin you think that?" I replied, 
that I thought it was a buffalo-hide; he 



28 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

laughed, and said, "You fool again, j^ou 
know nothing, you think buffalo that colo'?" 
I acknowledged I did not know much about 
these things, and told him I never saw a 
buffalo, and that I had not heard what color 
they w^ere. He replied, "By and by you 
shall see gleat many buffalo; he now go to 
gleat lick. That skin no buffalo-skin, that 
skin buck-elk-skin." They went out with 
horses, and brought in the remainder of this 
buck-elk, which was the fattest creature I 
ever saw of the tallow kind. 

We remained at this camp about eight or 
ten days, and killed a number of deer. 
Though we had neither bread nor salt at 
this time, yet we had both roast and boiled 
meat in great plenty, and they were fre- 
quently inviting me to eat w^ien I had no 
appetite. 

We then moved to the buffalo lick, v/here 
we killed several buffalo, and in their small 
brass kettles they made about half a bushel 
of salt. I suppose this lick was about thirty 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 29 

or forty miles from the aforesaid town, and 
somewhere between the JMuskingmn, Ohio, 
and Sciota. About the hck was clear, open 
woods, and thin white-oak land, and at that 
time there were large roads leading to the 
lick, like wagon-roads. We moved from 
this lick about six or seven miles, and en- 
camped on a creek. 

Some time after this, I was told to take 
the dogs with me, and go down the creek, 
perhaps I might kill a turkey; it being in 
the afternoon, I was also told not to go far 
from the creek, and to come up the creek 
again to the camp, and to take care not to 
get lost. When I had gone some distance 
down the creek, I came upon fresh buffalo 
tracks, and as I had a number of dogs with 
me to stop the buffalo, I concluded I would 
follow after and kill one; and as the grass 
and weeds were rank, I could readily follow 
the track. A little before sundown I de- 
spaired of coming up with them. I was then 
thinking how I might get to camp before 



30 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

night. I concluded, as the buffalo had made 
several turns, if I took the track bacl^ to the 
creek it would be dark before I could get to 
camp; therefore I thought I would take a 
near way through the hills, and strike the 
creek a little below the camp ; but as it was 
cloudy weather, and I a very young woods- 
man, I could find neither creek nor camp. 
When night came on I fired my gun several 
times, and hallooed, but could have no an- 
swer. The next morning, early, the Indians 
were out after me, and as I had with me ten 
or a dozen dogs, and the grass and weeds 
rank, they could readily follow my track. 
When they came up with me they appeared 
to be in very good-humor. I asked Solomon 
if he thought I was running away; he said, 
"No, no, you go too much clooked." On my 
return to camp they took my gun from 
me, and for this rash step I was reduced 
to a bow and arrows for near two years. 
We were out on this tour for about six 
weeks. 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 31 

This country is generally hilly, though 
intermixed with considerable quantities of 
rich upland and some good bottoms. 

When we returned to the town, Pluggy 
and his party had arrived, and brought with 
them a considerable number of scalps and 
prisoners from the south branch of the Poto- 
mac; they also brought with them an Eng- 
lish Bible, which they gave to a Dutch 
woman who was a prisoner ; but as she "could 
not read English, she made a present of it 
to me, which was very acceptable. 

I remained in this town until some time 
in October, when my adopted brother, called 
Tontileaugo, who had married a Wyandot 
squaw, took me with him to Lake Erie. On 
this route we had no horses with us, and 
when we started from the town all the pack I 
carried was a pouch containing my books, a 
little dried venison, and my blanket. I had 
then no gun, but Tontileaugo, who was a 
first-rate hunter, carried a rifle gun, and 
every day killed deer, raccoons, or bears. 



32 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

We left the meat, excepting a little for 
present use, and carried the skins with us 
until we encamped, and then stretched them 
with elm bark, in a frame made with poles 
stuck in the ground, and tied together with 
lynn or elm bark; and when the skins were 
dried by the fire, we packed them up and 
carried them with us the next day. 

As Tontileaugo could not speak English, 
I had to make use of all the Caughnewaga 
I had learned, even to talk very imperfectly 
with him ; but I found I learned to talk In- 
dian faster this way than when I had those 
with me who could speak English. 

As we proceeded down the Canesadooharie 
waters, our packs increased by the skins that 
were daily killed, and became so very heavy 
that we could not march more than eight or 
ten miles per day. We came to Lake Erie 
about six miles west of the mouth of Canesa- 
dooharie. As the wind was very high the 
evening we came to the lake, I was surprised 
to hear the roaring of the water, and see the 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 33 

high waves that dashed against the shore, 
hke the ocean. We encamped on a run near 
the lake, and, as the wind fell that night, the 
next morning the lake was only in a moder- 
ate motion, and we marched on the sand 
along the side of the water, frequently rest- 
ing ourselves, as we were heavily laden. I 
saw on the sand a number of large fish, that 
had been left in flat or hollow places ; as the 
wind fell and the waves abated they were left 
without water, or only a small quantity ; and 
nmnbers of bald and gray eagles, etc., were 
along the shore devouring them. 

Some time in the afternoon we came to a 
large camp of Wyandots, at the mouth of 
Canesadooharie, where Tontileaugo's wife 
was. Here we were kindly received; they 
gave us a kind of rough, brown potatoes, 
which grew spontaneously, and were called 
by the Cauglmewagas ohnenata. These po- 
tatoes, peeled and dipped in raccoon's fat, 
taste nearly like our sweet potatoes. They 
also gave us what they call canaheanta. 



34. CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

which is a kind of hominy, made of green 
corn, dried, and beans, mixed together. 

We continued oui' camp at the mouth of 
Canesadooharie for some time, where we 
killed some deer and a great many raccoons ; 
the raccoons here were remarkably large and 
fat. At length we all embarked in a large 
birch-bark canoe. This vessel was about 
four feet wide and three feet deep, and about 
five-and-thirty feet long; and though it could 
carry a heavy burden, it was so artfully and 
curiously constructed that four men could 
carry it several miles, or from one landing- 
place to another, or from the waters of the 
lake to the waters of the Ohio. We pro- 
ceeded up Canesadooharie a few miles, and 
went on shore to hunt ; but, to my great sur- 
prise, they carried the vessel we all came in 
up the bank, and inverted it, or turned the 
bottom up, and converted it to a dwelling- 
house, and kindled a fire before us to warm 
ourselves by and cook. With our baggage 
and ourselves in this house we were very 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 35 

much crowded, yet our little house turned 
off the rain very well. 

While we remained here I left my pouch 
with my books in camp, wrapped up in my 
blanket, and went out to hunt chestnuts. 
On my return to camp my books were miss- 
ing. I inquired after them, and asked the 
Indians if they knew where they were ; they 
told me that they supposed the puppies had 
carried them off. I did not believe them, 
but thought they were displeased at my 
poring OA^er my books, and concluded that 
they had destroyed them, or put them out of 
my way. 

After this I v/as again out after nuts, and 
on my return beheld a new erection, com- 
posed of two white-oak saplings, that were 
forked about twelve feet high, and stood 
about fifteen feet apart. They had cut 
these saplings at the forks, and laid a strong 
pole across, which appeared in the form of 
a gallows; and the poles they had shaved 
very smooth, and painted in places with ver- 



36 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

milion. I could not conceive the use of this 
piece of work, and at length concluded it was 
a gallows. I thought that I had displeased 
them by reading my books, and that they 
were about putting me to death. The next 
morning I observed them bringing their 
skins all to this place, and hanging them over 
this pole, so as to preserve them from being 
injured by the weather. This removed my 
fears. They also buried their large canoe in 
the ground, which is the way they took to 
preserve this sort of a canoe in the winter 
season. 

As we had at this time no horse, every one 
got a pack on his back, and we steered an 
east course about twelve miles and en- 
camped. The next morning we proceeded 
on the same course about ten miles to a large 
creek that empties into Lake Erie, betwixt 
Canesadooharie and Cayahoga. Here they 
made their winter cabin in the following 
form: they cut logs about fifteen feet long, 
and laid these logs upon each other, and 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 37 

drove posts in the ground at each end to 
keep them together; the posts they tied to- 
gether at the top with bark, and by this 
means raised a wall fifteen feet long and 
about four feet high, and in the same manner 
they raised another wall opposite to this, at 
about twelve feet distance; then they drove 
forks in the ground in the centre of each end, 
and laid a strong pole from end to end on 
these forks ; and from these walls to the poles 
they set up poles instead of rafters, and on 
these they tied small poles in place of laths ; 
and a cover was made of lynn-bark, which 
which will run * even in the winter season. 

It was some time in December when we 
finished this winter-cabin; but when we had 
got into this comparatively fine lodging an- 
other difficulty arose — we had nothing to eat. 
While I was travelling with Tontileaugo, as 
was before mentioned, and had plenty of fat 
venison, bear's meat, and raccoons, I then 
thought it was hard living without bread or 

* Peel. 



38 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

salt ; but now I began to conclude that, if I 
had anything that would banish pinching 
hunger, and keep soul and body together, I 
would be content. 

While the hunters were all out, exerting 
themselves to the outmost of their ability, 
the squaws and boys (in which class I was) 
were scattered out in the bottoms, hunting 
red haws, black haws, and hickory nuts. As 
it was too late in the year we did not suc- 
ceed in gathering haws, but we had tolerable 
success in scratching up hickory-nuts from 
under a light snow, and these we carried 
with us lest the hunters should not succeed. 
After our return the hunters came in, who 
had killed only two small turkeys, which 
were but little among eight hunters and 
thirteen squaws, boys, and children; but 
they were divided with the greatest equity 
and justice; every one got their equal share. 

The next day the hunters turned out 
again, and killed one deer and three bears. 
One of the bears was very large and remark- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 39 

ably fat. The hunters carried in meat suffi- 
cient to give us all a hearty supper and 
breakfast. The squaws and all that could 
carry turned out to bring in meat ; every one 
had their share assigned them, and my load 
was among the least; yet, not being accus- 
tomed to carrying in this way, I got exceed- 
ingly weary, and told them my load was too 
heavy ; I must leave part of it and come for 
it again. They made a halt, and only 
laughed at me, and took part of my load, 
and added it to a young squaw's, who had as 
much before as I carried. 

This kind of reproof had a greater ten- 
dency to excite me to exert myself in carry- 
ing without complaining than if they had 
whipped me for laziness. After this the 
hunters held a council, and concluded that 
they must have horses to carry their loads; 
and that they would go to war, even in this 
inclement season, in order to bring in horses. 

Tontileaugo wished to be one of those who 
should go to war ; but the votes went against 



40 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

him, as he was one of our best hunters; it 
was thought necessary to leave him at this 
winter-camp to provide for the squaws and 
children. It was agreed upon that Ton- 
tileaugo and three others should stay and 
hunt, and the other four go to war. 

They then began to go through their com- 
mon ceremony. They sung their war-songs, 
danced their war-dances, etc. And when 
they were equipped they went off singing 
their marching-song and firing their guns. 
Our camp appeared to be rejoicing; but I 
was grieved to think that some innocent per- 
sons would be murdered, not thinking of 
danger. 

After the departure of these warriors we 
had hard times; and though we were not 
altogether out of provisions, we were brought 
to short allowance. At length Tontileaugo 
had considerable success, and we had meat 
brought into camp sufficient to last ten days. 
Tontileaugo then took me with him in order 
to encamp some distance from this winter- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 41 

cabin, to try his luck there. We carried no 
provisions with us; he said he would leave 
what was there for the squaws and children, 
and that we could shift for ourselves. We 
steered about a south course up the waters 
of this creek, and encamped about ten or 
twelve miles from the winter-cabin. As it 
was still cold weather, and a crust upon the 
snow, which made a noise as we walked, and 
alarmed the deer, we could kill nothing, and 
consequently went to sleep without supper. 
The only chance we had, im^der these circum- 
stances, was to hunt bear-holes ; as the bears, 
about Christmas, search out a winter lodg- 
ing-place, where they lie about three or four 
months without eating or drinking. This 
may appear to some incredible, but it is well 
known to be the case by those who live in the 
remote western parts of North America. 

The next morning early we proceeded on, 
and when we found a tree scratched by the 
bears climbing up, and the hole in the tree 
sufficiently large for the reception of the 



42 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

bear, we then felled a sapling or small tree 
against or near the hole, and it was my busi- 
ness to climb up and drive out the bear, 
while Tontileaugo stood ready with his gun 
and bow. We went on in this manner until 
evening without success. At length we 
found a large elm scratched, and a hole in 
it about forty feet up, but no tree nigh suit- 
able to lodge against the hole. Tontileaugo 
got a long pole and some diy rotten wood, 
which he tied in bunches with bark; and as 
there was a tree that grew near the elm, and 
extended up near the hole, but leaned the 
wrong way, so that we could not lodge it to 
advantage, to remedy this inconvenience he 
climbed up this tree and carried with him 
his rotten wood, fire, and pole. The rotten 
wood he tied to his belt, and to one end of 
the pole he tied a hook and a piece of rotten 
wood, which he set fire to, as it would retain 
fire almost like punk, and reached this hook 
from limb to limb as he went up. When he 
got up with his pole he put dry wood on fire 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 43 

into the hole; after he put in the fire he 
heard the bear snuff, and he came speedily 
down, took his gun in his hand, and waited 
until the bear would come out; but it was 
some time before it appeared, and when it 
did appear he attempted taking sight with 
his rifle; but it being then too dark to see 
the sights, he set it down by a tree, and in- 
stantly bent his bow, took hold of an arrow, 
and shot the bear a little behind the shoulder. 
I was preparing also to shoot an arrow, but 
he called to me to stop, there was no occa- 
sion; and with that the bear fell to the 
ground. 

Being very hungry, we kindled a fire, 
opened the bear, took out the liver, and 
wrapped some of the caul-fat round, and 
put it on a wooden spit, which we stuck in 
the ground by the fii'e to roast; then we 
skinned the bear, got on our kettle, and had 
both roast and boiled, and also sauce to our 
meat, which appeared to me to be delicate 
fare. After I was fully satisfied I went to 



44 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

sleep; Tontileaugo awoke me, saying, 
"Come, eat hearty, we have got meat plenty 
now." 

The next morning we cut down a lynn- 
tree, peeled bark and made a snug little 
shelter, facing the southeast, with a large 
log betwixt us and the northwest ; we made 
a good fire before us, and scaffolded up our 
meat at one side. When we had finished our 
camp we went out to hunt; searched two 
trees for bears, but to no purpose. As the 
snow thawed a little in the afternoon, Ton- 
tileaugo killed a deer, which we carried with 
us to camp. 

Some time in February the four warriors 
returned, who had taken two scalps and six 
horses from the frontiers of Pennsylvania. 
The hunters could then scatter out a con- 
siderable distance from the winter-cabin and 
encamp, kill meat, and bring it in upon 
horses ; so that we commonly, after this, had 
plenty of provision. 

In this month we began to make sugar. 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 45 

As some of the elm-bark will strip at this 
season, the squaws, after finding a tree that 
would do, cut it down, and with a crooked 
stick, broad and sharp at the end, took the 
bark off the tree, and of this bark made ves- 
sels, in a curious manner, that would hold 
about two gallons each; they made above 
one hundred of these kind of vessels. In 
the sugar-tree they cut a notch, sloping 
down, and at the end of the notch stuck in a 
tomahawk ; in the place where they stuck the 
tomahawk they drove a long chip, in order 
to carry the water out from the tree, and 
under this they set their vessel to receive it. 
As sugar-trees were plenty and large here, 
they seldom or never notched a tree that was 
not two or three feet over. They also made 
bark vessels for carrying the water that 
would hold about four gallons each. They 
had two brass kettles that held about fif- 
teen gallons each, and other smaller ket- 
tles in which they boiled the water. But as 
they could not at times boil away the water 



46 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

as fast as it was collected, they made vessels 
of bark that would hold about one hundred 
gallons each for retaining the water; and 
though the sugar-trees did not run every 
day, they had always a sufficient quantity of 
water to keep them boiling during the whole 
sugar-season. 

About the latter end of March we began 
to prepare for moving into town in order to 
plant corn. The squaws were then frying 
the last of their bear's fat and making ves- 
sels to hold it ; the vessels were made of deer- 
skins, which were skinned by pulling the skin 
off the neck without ripping. After they 
had taken off the hair they gathered it in 
small plaits round the neck, and, with a 
string, drew it together like a purse; in the 
centre a pin was put, below which they tied 
a string, and while it was wet they blew it 
up like a bladder, and let it remain in this 
manner until it was dry, when it appeared 
nearly in the shape of a sugar-loaf, but more 
rounding at the lower end. One of these 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 47 

vessels would hold about four or five gallons. 
In these vessels it was they carried their 
bear's oil. 

When all things were ready we moved 
back to the falls of Canesadooharie. On our 
arrival at the falls (as we had brought with 
us on horseback about two hundred weight 
of sugar, a large quantity of bear's oil, skins, 
etc.) the canoe we had buried was not suffi- 
cient to carry all ; therefore we were obliged 
to make another one of elm-bark. While we 
lay here a young Wyandot found my books. 
On this they collected together. I was a lit- 
tle way from the camp, and saw the collec- 
tion, but did not know what it meant. 
They called me by my Indian name, which 
was Scoouwa, repeatedly. I ran to see 
what was the matter; they showed me my 
books, and said they were glad they had 
been found, for they knew I was grieved 
at the loss of them, and that they now re- 
joiced with me because they were found. 
As I could then speak some Indian, espe- 



48 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

cially Cauglinewaga (for both that and the 
Wyandot tongue were spoken in this camp) , 
I told them that I thanked them for the 
kindness they had always shown to me, and 
also for finding my books. They asked if 
the books were damaged. I told them not 
much. They then showed how they lay, 
which was in the best manner to turn off 
the water. In a deer-skin pouch they lay 
all winter. The print was not much in- 
jured, though the binding was. This was 
the first time that I felt my heart warm 
towards the Indians. Though they had 
been exceedingly kind to me, I still be- 
fore detested them on account of the bar- 
barity I beheld after Braddock's defeat. 
Neither had I ever before pretended kind- 
ness, or expressed myself in a friendly man- 
ner; but I began now to excuse the Indians 
on account of their want of information. 

We staid at this camp about two weeks, 
and killed a number of bears, raccoons, and 
some beavers. We made a canoe of elm- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 49 

bark, and Tontileaugo embarked in it. He 
arrived at the falls that night; while I, 
mounted on horseback, with a bear-skin sad- 
dle and bark stirrups, proceeded by land to 
the falls. I came there the next morning, 
and we carried our canoe and loading past 
the falls. 

We again proceeded towards the lakes ; I 
on horseback and Tontileaugo by water. 
Here the land is generally good, but I found 
some difficulty in getting round swamps and 
ponds. When we came to the lake I pro- 
ceeded along the strand and Tontileaugo 
near the shore, sometimes paddling and 
sometimes poling his canoe along. 

After some time the wind arose, and he 
went into the mouth of a small creek and en- 
camped. Here we staid several days on 
account of high wind, which raised the lake 
in great billows. While we were here Ton- 
tileaugo went out to hunt, and when he was 
gone a Wyandot came to our camp. I gave 
him a shoulder of venison which I had by the 



50 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

fire well roasted, and he received it gladly; 
told me he was hungry, and thanked me for 
my kindness. When Tontileaugo came 
home I told him that a Wyandot had been 
at camp, and that I gave him a shoulder of 
roasted venison. He said that was very 
well, "and I suppose you gave him also 
sugar and bear's oil to eat with his venison." 
I told him I did not, as the sugar and bear's 
oil were down in the canoe, I did not go for 
it. He replied, "You have behaved just 
like a Dutchman.* Do you not Imow that 
when strangers come to our camp we ought 
always to give them the best that we have?" 
I acknowledged that I was wrong. He said 
that he could excuse this, as I was but 
young; but I must learn to behave like a 
warrior, and do great things, and never be 
found in any such little actions. 

The lake being again calm, we proceeded, 
and arrived safe at Sunyendeand, which was 

* The Dutch he called Skoharehaugo, which took its de- 
rivation from a Dutch settlement called Skoharey. 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 51 

a Wyandot town that lay upon a small creek 
which empties into the little lake below the 
mouth of Sandusky. 

The town was about eighty rood above the 
mouth of the creek, on the south side of a 
large plain, on which timber grew, and noth- 
ing more but grass or nettles. In some 
places there were large flats where nothing 
but grass grew, about three feet high when 
grown, and in other places nothing but net- 
tles, very rank, where the soil is extremely 
rich and loose; here they planted corn. In 
this town there were also French traders, 
who purchased our skins and fur, and we all 
got new clothes, paint, tobacco, etc. 

After I had got my new clothes, and my 
head done off like a red-headed woodpecker, 
I, in company with a number of young In- 
dians, went down to the corn-field to see the 
squaws at work. When we came there they 
asked me to take a hoe, which I did, and 
hoed for some time. The squaws applauded 
me as a good hand at the business ; but when 



52 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

I returned to the town the old men, hearing 
of what I had done, chid me, and said that 
I was adopted in the place of a great man, 
and must not hoe corn like a squaw. They 
never had occasion to reprove me for any- 
thing like this again; as I never was ex- 
tremely fond of work, I readily complied 
with their orders. 

As the Indians, on their return from their 
winter hunt, bring in with them large quan- 
tities of bear's oil, sugar, dried venison, etc., 
at this time they have plenty, and do not 
spare eating or giving; thus they make way 
with their provision as quick as possible. 
They have no such thing as regular meals, 
breakfast, dinner, or supper ; but if any one, 
even the town-folks, would go to the same 
house several times in one day, he would be 
invited to eat of the best; and with them it 
is bad manners to refuse to eat when it is 
offered. If they will not eat it is interpreted 
as a symptom of displeasure, or that the per- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 53 

sons refusing to eat were angry with those 
who had invited them. 

At this tinie hominy, plentifully mixed 
with bear's oil and sugar, or dried venison, 
bear's oil, and sugar, is what they offer to 
every one who comes in any time of the day ; 
and so they go on until their sugar, bear's oil, 
and venison are all gone, and then they have 
to eat hominy by itself, without bread, salt, 
or anything else; yet still they invite every 
one that comes in to eat while they have any- 
thing to give. It is thought a shame not to 
invite people to eat while they have any- 
thing; but if they can in truth only say we 
have got nothing to eat, this is accepted as 
an honorable apology. All the hunters and 
warriors continued in town about six weeks 
after we came in; they spent this time in 
painting, going from house to house, eating, 
smoking, and playing at a game resembling 
dice, or hustle-cap. They put a number of 
plum-stones in a small bowl ; one side of each 



54^ CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

stone is black, and the other white ; they then 
shake or hustle the bowl, calling, "Hits, hits, 
hits, honesey, honesey, rago, rag of which 
signifies calling for white or black, or what 
they wish to turn up; they then turn the 
bowl, and count the whites and blacks. 
Some were beating their kind of drum and 
singing ; others were employed in playing on 
a sort of flute made of hollow cane; and 
others playing on the jew's-harp. Some 
part of this time was also taken up in attend- 
ing the council-house, where the chiefs, and 
as many others as chose, attended; and at 
night they were frequently employed in sing- 
ing and dancing. Towards the last of this 
time, which was in June, 1756, they were all 
engaged in preparing to go to war against 
the frontiers of Virginia. When they were 
equipped they went through their cere- 
monies, sung their war-songs, etc. They all 
marched off, from fifteen to sixty years of 
age; and some boys, only twelve years of 
age, were equipped with their bows and 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 55 

arrows, and went to war; so that none were 
left in town but squaws and children, except 
myself, one very old man, and another, about 
fifty years of age, who was lame. 

The Indians were then in great hopes that 
they would drive all the Virginians over the 
lake, which is all the name they know for the 
sea. When the warriors left this town we 
had neither meat, sugar, or bear's oil left. 
All that we had then to live on was corn 
pounded into coarse meal or small hominy; 
this they boiled in water, which appeared 
like well-thickened soup, without salt or any- 
thing else. For some time we had plenty of 
this kind of hominy; at length we were 
brought to very short allowance, and as the 
warriors did not return as soon as they ex- 
pected, we were soon in a starving condition, 
and but one gun in the town, and very little 
ammunition. The old lame Wyandot con- 
cluded that he would go a-hunting in a canoe, 
and take me with him, and try to kill deer in 
the water, as it was then watering time. 



56 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

We went up Sandusky a few miles, then 
turned up a creek and encamped. We had 
Hghts prepared, as we were to hunt in the 
night, and also a piece of bark and some 
bushes set up in the canoe, in order to con- 
ceal ourselves from the deer. A little boy 
that was with us held the light; I worked 
the canoe, and the old man, who had his gun 
loaded with large shot, when we came near 
the deer, fired, and in this manner killed 
three deer in part of one night. We went 
to our fire, ate heartily, and in the morning 
returned to town in order to relieve the 
hungry and distressed. 

When we came to town the children were 
crying bitterly on account of pinching 
hunger. We delivered what we had taken, 
and though it was but little among so many, 
it was divided according to the strictest rules 
of justice. We immediately set out for an- 
other hunt, but before we returned a part of 
the warriors had come in, and brought with 
them on horseback a quantity of meat. 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 57 

These warriors had divided into different 
parties, and all struck at different places in 
Augusta County. They brought in with 
them a considerable number of scalps, pris- 
oners, horses, and other plunder. One of 
the parties brought in with them one Arthur 
Campbell, that is now Colonel Campbell, 
who lives on Holston River, near the Royal 
Oak. As the Wyandots at Sunyendeand 
and those at Detroit were connected, Mr. 
Campbell was taken to Detroit; but he re- 
mained some time with me in this town. His 
company was very agreeable, and I was 
sorry when he left me. During his stay at 
Sunyendeand he borrowed my Bible, and 
made some pertinent remarks on what he had 
read. One passage was where it is said, "It 
is good for a man that he bear the yoke in 
his youth." He said we ought to be resigned 
to the will of Providence, as we were now 
bearing the yoke in our youth. Mr. Camp- 
bell appeared to be then about sixteen or 
seventeen years of age. 



58 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

About the time that these warriors came 
in the green corn was beginning to be of use, 
so that we had either green corn or venison, 
and sometimes both, which was, compara- 
tively, high living. When we could have 
plenty of green corn, or roasting ears, the 
hunters became lazy, and spent their time, 
as already mentioned, in singing and danc- 
ing, etc. They appeared to be fulfilling the 
Scriptures beyond those who profess to be- 
lieve in them, in that of taking no thought 
of to-morrow; and also in living in love, 
peace, and friendship together, without dis- 
putes. In this respect they shame those who 
profess Christianity. 

In this manner we lived until October; 
then the geese, swans, ducks, cranes, etc., 
came from the north, and alighted on this 
little lake, without number, or innumerable. 
Sunyendeand is a remarkable place for fish 
in the spring, and fowl both in the fall and 
spring. 

As our hunters were now tired with in- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 59 

dolence, and fond of their own kind of exer- 
cise, they all turned out to fowling, and in 
this could scarce miss of success ; so that we 
had now plenty of hominy and the best of 
fowls; and sometimes, as a rarity, we had a 
little bread, which was made of Indian-corn 
meal, pounded in a hominy block, mixed with 
boiled beans, and baked in cakes under the 
ashes. 

This with us was called good living, 
though not equal to our fat, roasted, and 
boiled venison, when we went to the woods 
in the fall ; or bear's meat and beaver in the 
winter; or sugar, bear's oil, and dry venison 
in the spring. 

Some time in October, another adopted 
brother, older than Tontileaugo came to 
pay us a visit at Sunyendeand, and he asked 
me to take a hunt with him on Cayahoga. 
As they always used me as a free man, and 
gave me the liberty of choosing, I told him 
that I was attached to Tontileaugo, had 
never seen him before, and therefore asked 



60 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

some time to consider of this. He told me 
that the party he was going with would not 
be along, or at the mouth of this little lake, 
in less than six days, and I could in this time 
be acquainted with him, and judge for my- 
self. I consulted with Tontileaugo on this 
occasion, and he told me that our old brother 
Tecauglu'etanego (which was his name) was 
a chief, and a better man than he was, and 
if I went with him I might expect to be well 
used; but he said I might do as I pleased, 
and if I staid he would use me as he had 
done. I told him that he had acted in every 
respect as a brother to me; yet I was much 
pleased with mj^ old brother's conduct and 
conversation ; and as he Avas going to a part 
of the country I had never been in, I wished 
to go with him. He said that he was per- 
fectly willing. 

I then went with Tecaughretanego to the 
mouth of the little lake, where he met with 
the company he intended going with, which 
was composed of Caughnewagas and Ot- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 61 

tawas. As the wind was high and we could 
not proceed on our voyage, we remained 
here several days, and killed abundance of 
wild fowl, and a number of raccoons. 

When a company of Indians are moving 
together on the lake, as it is at this time of 
the year often dangerous sailing, the old men 
hold a council; and when they agree to em- 
bark, every one is engaged iinmediately in 
making ready, without offering one word 
against the measure, though the lake may be 
boisterous and horrid. One morning, 
though the wind appeared to me to be as 
high as in days past, and the billows raging, 
yet the call was given "yoholi-yohoh" which 
was quickly answered by all — ^'ooh-ooh" 
which signifies agreed. We were all in- 
stantly engaged in preparing to start, and 
had considerable difficulties in embarking. 

As soon as we got into our canoes we fell 
to paddling with all our might, making out 
from the shore. Though these sort of 
canoes ride waves beyond what could be ex- 



62 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

pected, yet the water several times dashed 
into them. When we got out about half a 
mile from shore we hoisted sail, and as it was 
nearly a west wind, we then seemed to ride 
the waves with ease, and went on at a rapid 
rate. We then all laid down our paddles, 
excepting one that steered, and there was no 
water dashed into our canoes until we came 
near the shore again. We sailed about sixty 
miles that day, and encamped some time be- 
fore night. 

The next day we again embarked, and 
went on very well for some time; but the 
lake being boisterous, and the wind not fair, 
we were obliged to make to shore, which we 
accomplished with hard work and some diffi- 
culty in landing. The next morning a coun- 
cil was held by the old men. 

As we had this day to pass by a long preci- 
pice of rocks on the shore, about nine miles, 
which rendered it impossible for us to land, 
though the wind was high and the lake 
rough, yet, as it was fair, we were all ordered 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 63 

to embark. We wrought ourselves out from 
the shore and hoisted sail (what we used in 
place of sail-cloth were our tent-mats, which 
answered the purpose very well), and went 
on for some time with a fair wind, until we 
were opposite to the precipice, and then it 
turned towards the shore, and we began to 
fear we should be cast upon the rocks. Two 
of the canoes were considerably farther out 
from the rocks than the canoe I was in. 
Those who were farthest out in the lake did 
not let down their sails until they had passed 
the precipice ; but as we were nearer the rock, 
we were obliged to lower our sails, and pad- 
dle with all our might. With much diffi- 
culty we cleared ourselves of the rock, and 
landed. As the other canoes had landed be- 
fore us, there were immediately runners sent 
off to see if we were all safely landed. 

About the first of December, 1756, we 
were preparing for leaving the river: we 
buried our canoes, and as usual hung up our 
skins, and every one had a pack to carry. 



64 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

The squaws also packed up their tents, 
which they carried in large rolls that ex- 
tended up above their heads, and though a 
great bulk, yet not heav}^ We steered 
about a southeast course, and could not 
march over ten miles per day. At night 
we lodged in our flag tents, which, when 
erected, were nearly in the shape of a sugar- 
loaf, and about fifteen feet diameter at the 
ground. 

In this manner we proceeded about forty 
miles, and wintered in these tents, on the 
waters of Beaver Creek, near a little lake 
or large pond, which is about two miles long 
and one broad, and a remarkable place for 
beaver. 

It is a received opinion among Indians 
that the geese turn to beavers, and the snakes 
to raccoons; and though Tecaughretanego, 
who was a wise man, was not fully persuaded 
that this was true, j^et he seemed in some 
measure to be carried away with this whim- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 65 

sical notion. He said that this pond had 
been always a great place for beaver. 
Though he said he knew them to be fre- 
quently all killed (as he thought), yet the 
next winter they would be as plenty as ever. 
And as the beaver was an animal that did 
not travel by land, and there being no water 
communication to or from this pond, how 
could such a number of beavers get there 
year after year ? But as this pond was also 
a considerable place for geese, when they 
came in the fall from the north, and alighted 
in this pond, they turned beavers, all but the 
feet, which remained nearly the same. 

In conversation with Tecaughretanego I 
happened to be talking of the beavers catch- 
ing fish. He asked me why I thought that 
the beaver caught fish. I told him that I 
had read of the beaver making dams for the 
conveniency of fishing. He laughed, and 
made game of me and my book. He said 
the man that wrote that book knew nothing 



m CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

about the beaver. The beaver never did eat 
flesh of any kind, but lived on the bark of 
trees, roots, and other vegetables. 

In order to know certainly how this was, 
when we killed a beaver I carefully examined 
the intestines, but found no appearance of 
fish ; I afterwards made an experiment on a 
pet beaver which we had, and found that it 
would neither eat fish nor flesh; therefore I 
acknowledged that the book I had read was 
wrong. 

Near this pond beaver was the principal 
game. Before the water froze up we caught 
a great many with wooden and steel traps; 
but after that we hunted the beaver on the 
ice. Some places here the beavers build 
large houses to live in; and in other places 
they have subterraneous lodgings in the 
banks. Where they lodge in the ground we 
have no chance of hunting them on the ice ; 
but where they have houses, we go with 
mauls and handspikes, and break all the hol- 
low ice, to prevent them from getting their 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 67 

heads above the water under it. Then we 
break a hole in the house, and they make 
their escape into the water ; but as they can- 
not hve long under water, they are obliged 
to go to some of those broken places to 
breathe, and the Indians commonly put in 
their hands, catch them by the hind-leg, haul 
them on the ice, and tomahawk them. 
Sometimes they shoot them in the head 
when they raise it above the water. I asked 
the Indians if they were not afraid to catch 
the beavers with their hands. They said no : 
they were not much of a biting creature ; yet 
if they would catch them by the fore-foot 
they would bite. 

I went out with Tecaughretanego and 
some others a beaver hunting; but we did 
not succeed, and on our return we saw where 
several raccoons had passed while the snow 
was soft, though there was now a crust upon 
it ; we all made a halt, looking at the raccoon 
tracks. As they saw a tree with a hole in 
it, they told me to go and see if they had 



68 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

gone in thereat; and if they had to halloo, 
and they would come and take them out. 
When I went to that tree, I found they had 
gone past; but I saw another the way they 
had gone, and proceeded to examine that, 
and found they had gone up it. I then be- 
gan to halloo, but could have no answer. 

As it began to snow and blow most vio- 
lently, I returned and proceeded after my 
company, and for some time could see their 
tracks; but the old snow being only about 
three inches deep, and a crust upon it, the 
present driving snow soon filled up the tracks. 
As I had only a bow, arrows, and tomahawk 
with me, and no way to strike fire, I ap- 
peared to be in a dismal situation; and as 
the air was dark with snow, I had little more 
prospect of steering my course than I would 
in the night. At length I came to a hollow 
tree, with a hole at one side that I could go 
in at. I went in, and found that it was a 
dry place, and the hollow about three feet 
diameter, and high enough for me to stand 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 69 

in. I found that there was also a consider- 
able quantity of soft, dry rotten wood around 
this hollow; I therefore concluded that I 
would lodge here, and that I would go to 
work, and stop up the door of my house. 
I stripped off my blanket (which was all the 
clothes that I had, excepting a breech-clout, 
leggings, and moccasons), and with my 
tomahawk fell to chopping at the top of a 
fallen tree that lay near, and carried wood, 
and set it up on end against the door, until 
I had it three or four feet thick all around, 
excepting a hole I had left to creep in at. I 
had a block prepared that I could haul after 
me to stop this hole ; and before I went in I 
put in a number of small sticks that I might 
more effectually stop it on the inside. 
When I went in, I took my tomahawk and 
cut down all the dry rotten wood I could 
get, and beat it small. With it I made a 
bed like a goose-nest or hog-bed, and with 
the small sticks stopped every hole, until my 
house was almost dark. I stripped off my 



70 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

moccasons, and danced in the centre of my 
bed, for half an hour, in order to warm my- 
self. In this time my feet and whole body 
were agreeably warmed. The snow, in the 
meanwhile, had stopped all the holes, so that 
my house was as dark as a dungeon, though 
I knew it could not j^et be dark out of doors. 
I then coiled myself up in my blanket, lay 
down in my little round bed, and had a toler- 
able night's lodging. When I awoke all was 
dark — not the least glimmering of light was 
to be seen. Immediately I recollected that 
I was not to expect light in this new habita- 
tion, as there was neither door nor window in 
it. As I could hear the storm raging, and 
did not suffer much cold as I was then situ- 
ated, I concluded I would stay in my nest 
until I was certain it was day. When I had 
reason to conclude that it surely was day, I 
arose and put on my moccasons, which I had 
laid under my head to keep from freezing. 
I then endeavored to find the door, and had 
to do all by the sense of feeling, which took 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 71 

me some time. At length I f omid the block, 
but it being heav^% and a large quantity of 
snow having fallen on it, at the first attempt 
I did not move it. I then felt terrified — 
among all the hardships I had sustained, I 
never knew before what it was to be thus 
deprived of light. This, with the other cir- 
cumstances attending it, appeared grievous. 
I went straightway to bed again, wrapped 
my blanket round me, and lay and mused 
awhile, and then prayed to Almighty God 
to direct and protect me as he had done here- 
tofore. I once again attempted to move 
away the block, which proved successful; it 
moved about nine inches. With this a con- 
siderable quantity of snow fell in from above, 
and I immediately received light; so that I 
found a very great snow had fallen, above 
what I had ever seen in one night. I then 
knew why I could not easily move the block, 
and I was so rejoiced at obtaining the light 
that all my other difficulties seemed to 
vanish. I then turned into my cell, and re- 



72 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

turned God thanks for having once more 
received the hght of heaven. At length I 
belted my blanket about me, got my toma- 
hawk, bow and arrows, and went out of my 
den. 

I was now in tolerable high spirits, though 
the snow had fallen above three feet deep, in 
addition to what was on the ground before; 
and the only imperfect guide I had in order 
to steer my course to camp was the trees, as 
the moss generally grows on the northwest 
side of them, if they are straight. I pro- 
ceeded on, wading through the snow, and 
about twelve o'clock (as it appeared after- 
wards, from that time to night, for it was 
yet cloudy) I came upon the creek that our 
camp was on, about half a mile below the 
camp ; and when I came in sight of the camp 
I found that there was great joy, by the 
shouts and yelling of the boys, etc. 

When I arrived they all came rouna me, 
and received me gladly; but at this time no 
questions were asked, and I was taken into 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 73 

a tent, where they gave me plenty of fat 
beaver meat, and then asked me to smoke. 
When I had done, Tecaughretanego desired 
me to walk out to a fii-e they had made. I 
went out, and they all collected round me, 
both men, women, and boys. Tecaughre- 
tanego asked me to give them a particular 
account of what had happened from the time 
they left me j^esterday until now. I told 
them the whole of the story, and they never 
interrupted me; but when I made a stop, 
the intervals were filled with loud exclama- 
tions of joy. As I could not at this time 
talk Ottawa or Jibewa well (which is nearly 
the same) , I delivered my story in Caughne- 
waga. As my sister Molly's husband was 
a Jibewa, and could understand Caughne- 
waga, he acted as interpreter, and delivered 
my story to the Jibewas and Ottawas, which 
they received with pleasure. 

One day, as I was looking after my traps, 
I got benighted, by beaver ponds intercept- 
ing my way to camp ; and as I had neglected 



74 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

to take fireworks with me, and the weather 
very cold, I could find no suitable lodging- 
place; therefore the only expedient I could 
think of to keep myself from freezing was 
exercise. I danced and hallooed the whole 
night with all my might, and the next day 
came to camp. Though I suffered much 
more this time than the other night I lay out, 
yet the Indians were not so much concerned, 
as they thought I had fireworks with me; 
but when they knew how it was, they did 
not blame me. They said that old hunters 
were frequently involved in this place, as the 
beaver dams were one above another on every 
creek and run, so that it is hard to find a 
fording-place. They applauded me for my 
fortitude, and said, as they had now plenty 
of beaver skins, they would purchase me a 
new gun at Detroit, as we were to go there 
the next spring; and then if I should chance 
to be lost in dark weather, I could make a 
fire, kill provision, and return to camp when 
the sun shone. By being bewildered on the 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 75 

waters of Muskingum, I lost repute, and was 
reduced to the bow and arrow, and by lying 
out two nights here I regained my credit. 

After some time the waters all froze again, 
and then, as formerly, we hunted beavers 
on the ice. Though beaver meat, without 
salt or bread, was the chief of oui' food this 
winter, yet we had always plenty, and I was 
well contented with my diet, as it ap- 
peared delicious fare after the way we had 
lived the winter before. 

Some time in February we scaffolded up 
our fur and skins, and moved about ten miles 
in quest of a sugar-camp, or a suitable place 
to make sugar, and encamped in a large 
bottom on the head-waters of Big Beaver 
Creek. We had some difficulty in moving, 
as we had a blind Caughnewaga boy, about 
fifteen years of age, to lead; and as this 
country is very brushy, we frequently had 
him to carry. We had also my Jibewa 
brother-in-law's father with us, who was 
thought by the Indians to be a great con- 



76 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

juror; his name was Manetohcoa. This old 
man was so decrepit that we had to carry 
him this route upon a bier, and all our bag- 
gage to pack on our backs. 

Some time in JNIarch, 1757, we began to 
move back to the forks of Cayahoga, which 
was about forty or fifty miles. And as we 
had no horses, we had all our baggage and 
several hundred weight of beaver skins, and 
some deer and bear skins, all to pack on our 
backs. The method we took to accomplish 
this was by making short days' journeys. 
In the morning we would move on with as 
much as we were able to carry, about five 
miles, and encamp, and then run back for 
more. We commonly made three such trips 
in the day. When we came to the great 
pond, we staid there one day to rest our- 
selves, and to kill ducks and geese. 

When we came to the forks, we found that 
the skins we had scaffolded were all safe. 
Though this was a public place, and Indians 
frequently passing, and our skins hanging 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 77 

up in view, yet there were none stolen. And 
it is seldom that Indians do steal anything 
from one another. And they say they never 
did, until the white people came among them, 
and taught some of them to lie, cheat, and 
steal; but be that as it may, they never did 
curse or swear until the whites taught them. 
Some think their language will not admit of 
it, but I am not of that opinion. If I was 
so disposed, I could find language to curse or 
swear in the Indian tongue. 

We took up our birch-bark canoes whicli 
we had buried, and found that they were not 
damaged by the winter; but they not being 
sufficient to carry all that we now had, we 
made a large chestnut-bark canoe, as elm- 
bark was not to be found at this place. 

We all embarked, and had a very agreeable 
passage down the Cayahoga, and along the 
south side of Lake Erie, until we passed the 
mouth of Sandusky; then the wind arose, 
and we put in at the mouth of the Miami of 
the Lake, at Cedar Point, where we remained 



78 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

several days, and killed a number of turkeys, 
geese, ducks, and swans. The wind being 
fair, and the lake not extremely rough, we 
again embarked, hoisted up sails, and arrived 
safe at the Wyandot town, nearly opposite 
to Fort Detroit, on the north side of the river. 
Here we found a number of French traders, 
every one very willing to deal with us for 
our beaver. 

We bought ourselves fine clothes, ammuni- 
tion, paint, tobacco, etc., and, according to 
promise, they purchased me a new gun ; yet 
we had parted with only about one third of 
our beaver. At length a trader came to 
town with French brandy; we purchased a 
keg of it, and held a council about who was 
to get drunk and who was to keep sober. I 
was invited to get drunk, but I refused the 
proposal ; then they told me that I must be 
one of those who were to take care of the 
drunken people. I did not like this ; but of 
two evils I chose that which I thought was 
the least — and fell in with those who were to 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 79 

conceal the arms, and keep every dangerous 
weapon we could out of their way, and en- 
deavor, if possible, to keep the drinking-club 
from killing each other, which was a very 
hard task. Several times we hazarded our 
own lives, and got ourselves hurt in prevent- 
ing them from slaying each other. Before 
they had finished this keg, near one third of 
the town was introduced to this drinking- 
club ; they could not pay their part, as they 
had already disposed of all their skins; but 
that made no odds — all were welcome to 
drink. When they were done with this keg, 
they applied to the traders, and procured a 
kettle full of brandy at a time, which they 
divided out with a large wooden spoon ; and 
so they went on, and never quit while they 
had a single beaver skin. When the trader 
had got all our beaver, he moved off to the 
Ottawa town, about a mile above the Wyan- 
dot town. 

When the brandy was gone, and the 
drinking-club sober, they appeared much de- 



80 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

jected. Some of them were crippled, others 
badly wounded, a number of their fine new 
shirts torn, and several blankets were burned. 
A number of squaws were also in this club, 
and neglected their corn-planting. We 
could now hear the effects of the brandy in 
the Ottawa town. They were singing and 
yelling in the most hideous manner, both 
night and day; but their frolic ended worse 
than ours: five Ottawas were killed and a 
great many wounded. 

After this a number of young Indians 
were getting their ears cut, and they urged 
me to have mine cut likewise, but they did 
not attempt to compel me, though they en- 
deavored to persuade me. The principal 
arguments they used were, its being a very 
great ornament, and also the common 
fashion. The former I did not believe, and 
the latter I could not deny. The way they 
performed this operation was by cutting the 
fleshy part of the circle of the ear, close to 
the gristle, quite through. When this was 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 81 

done they wrapped rags round this fleshy 
part until it was entirely healed; they then 
hung lead to it, and stretched it to a wonder- 
ful length : when it was sufficiently stretched, 
they wrapped the fleshy part round with 
brass wire, which formed it into a semicircle 
about four inches in diameter. 

Many of the young men were now exer- 
cising themselves in a game resembling foot- 
ball, though they commonly struck the ball 
with a crooked stick made for that purpose ; 
also a game something like this, wherein they 
used a wooden ball, about three inches in 
diameter, and the instrument they moved it 
with was a strong staff, about five feet long, 
with a hoop net on the end of it large enough 
to contain the ball. Before they begin the 
play, they lay off about half a mile distance 
in a clear plain, and the opposite parties all 
attend at the centre, where a disinterested 
person casts up the ball, then the opposite 
parties all contend for it. If any one gets 
it into his net, he runs with it the way he 



82 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

wishes it to go, and they all pursue him. If 
one of the opposite party overtakes the per- 
son with the ball, he gives the staff a stroke, 
which causes the ball to fly out of the net; 
then they have another debate for it, and if 
the one that gets it can outrun all the oppo- 
site party, and can carry it quite out, or over 
the line at the end, the game is won ; but this 
seldom happens. When any one is running 
away with the balh and is likely to be over- 
taken, he commonly tlirows it, and with this 
instrument can cast it fifty or sixty yards. 
Sometimes when the ball is almost at the one 
end, matters will take a sudden turn, and the 
opposite party may quickly carry it out at 
the other end. Oftentimes they will work a 
long while back and forward before they can 
get the ball over the line, or win the game. 
About the 1st of June, 1757, the warriors 
were preparing to go to war, in the Wyan- 
dot, Pottowatomy, and Ottawa towns; also 
a great many Jibewas came down from the 
upper lakes; and after singing their war- 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 83 

songs and going through their common 
ceremonies, they marched off against the 
frontiers of Virginia, Maryland, and Penn- 
sylvania, in their usual manner, singing the 
travelling song, slow firing, etc. 

About the middle of June the Indians 
were almost all gone to war, from sixteen to 
sixty; yet Tecaughretanego remained in 
town with me. Though he had formerly, 
when they were at war with the southern 
nations, been a great warrior and an eminent 
counsellor, and I think as clear and able a 
reasoner upon any subject that he had an 
opportunity of being acquainted with as I 
ever knew, yet he had all along been against 
this war, and had strenuously opposed it in 
council. He said, if the English and 
French had a quarrel, let them fight their 
own battles themselves ; it is not our business 
to intermeddle therewith. 

Before the warriors returned we were very 
scarce of provision; and though we did not 
commonly steal from one another, yet we 



84i CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

stole during this time anything that we could 
eat from the French, under the notion that 
it was just for us to do so, because they 
supported their soldiers; and our squaws, 
old men, and children were suffering on 
account of the war, as our hunters were all 
gone. 

Some time in August the warriors re- 
turned, and brought in with them a great 
many scalps, prisoners, horses, and plunder; 
and the common report among the young 
warriors was that they would entirely sub- 
due Tulhasaga, that is the English, or it 
might be literally rendered the Morning 
Light Inhabitants. 

About the first of November a number of 
families were preparing to go on their winter 
hunt, and all agreed to cross the lake to- 
gether. We encamped at the mouth of the 
river the first night, and a council was held, 
whether we should cross through by the three 
islands, or coast it round the lake. These 
islands lie in a line across the lake, and are 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 85 

just in sight of each other. Some of the 
Wyandots, or Ottawas, frequently make 
their winter hunt on these islands; though, 
excepting wild fowl and fish, there is scarcely 
any game here but raccoons, which are 
amazingly plenty, and exceedingly large and 
fat, as they feed upon the wild rice, which 
grows in abundance in wet places round 
these islands. It is said that each hunter, 
in one winter, will catch one thousand rac- 
coons. 

It is a received opinion among the Indians 
that the snakes and raccoons are transmi- 
gratory, and that a great many of the snakes 
turn into raccoons every fall, and raccoons 
into snakes eveiy spring. This notion is 
founded on observations made on the snakes 
and raccoons in this island. 

We concluded to coast it round the lake, 
and in two days we came to the mouth of the 
JMiami of the Lake, and landed on Cedar 
Point, where we remained several days. 
Here we held a council, and concluded we 



86 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

would take a driving hunt in concert and in 
partnership. 

The river in this place is about a mile 
broad, and as it and the lake form a kind of 
neck, which terminates in a point, all the 
hunters (which were fifty-three) went up the 
river, and we scattered ourselves from the 
river to the lake. When we first began to 
move we were not in sight of each other, but 
as we all raised the yell, we could move 
regularly together by the noise. At length 
we came in sight of each other, and appeared 
to be marching in good order; before we 
came to the point, both the squaws and boys 
in the canoes were scattered up the river and 
along the lake, to prevent the deer from 
making their escape by water. As we ad- 
vanced near the point the guns began to 
crack slowly, and after some time the firing 
was like a little engagement. The squaws 
and boys were busy tomahawking the deer in 
the water, and we shooting them down on the 
land. We killed in all about thirty deer, 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 87 

though a great many made their escape by 
water. 

Here our company separated. The chief 
part of them went up the Miami River,* 
which empties into Lake Erie at Cedar 
Point, while we proceeded on our journey in 
company with Tecaughretanego, Tontil- 
eaugo, and two famihes of the Wyandots. 

As cold weather was now approaching, we 
began to feel the doleful effects of extrava- 
gantly and foolishly spending the large 
quantity of beaver we had taken in our last 
winter's hunt. We were all nearly in the 
same circumstances ; scarcely one had a shirt 
to his back ; but each of us had an old blanket 
which we belted romid us in the day, and 
slept in at night, with a deer or bear skin 
under us for our bed. 

When we came to the Falls of Sandusky 
we buried oui' birch-bark canoes, as usual, at 
a large burying-place for that purpose, a 
little below the falls. At this place the river 

* The Miami of the Lakes, now called Maumee. 



88 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

falls about eight feet over a rock, but not 
perpendicularly. With much difficulty we 
pushed up our wooden canoes; some of us 
went up the river, and the rest by land with 
the horses, until we came to the great mea- 
dows or prairies that lie between Sandusky 
and Sciota. 

When we came to this place, we met with 
some Ottawa hunters, and agreed with them 
to take what they call a ring hunt, in part- 
nership. We waited until we expected rain 
was near falling to extinguish the fire, and 
then we kindled a large circle in the prairie. 
At this time, or before the bucks began to 
run, a great number of deer lay concealed 
in the grass in the day, and moved about in 
the night ; but as the fire burned in towards 
the centre of the circle, the deer fled before 
the fire; the Indians were scattered also at 
some distance before the fire, and shot them 
down every opportunity, which was very fre- 
quent, especially as the circle became small. 
When we came to divide the deer, there were 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 89 

about ten to each hunter, which were all 
killed in a few hours. The rain did not come 
on that night to put out the outside circle of 
the fire, and as the wind arose, it extended 
through the whole prairie, which was about 
fifty miles in length, and in some places 
nearly twenty in breadth. This put an end 
to our ring hunting this season, and was in 
other respects an injury to us in the hunting 
business ; so that upon the whole we received 
more harm than benefit by our rapid hunting 
frolic. We then moved from the north end 
of the glades, and encamped at the carrying- 
place. 

About the time the bucks quit running, 
Tontileaugo, his wife and children, Tecaugh- 
retanego, his son Nunganey, and myself, left 
the Wyandot camps at the carrying-place, 
and crossed the Sciota River at the south 
end of the glades, and proceeded on about a 
southwest course to a large creek called 
OUentangy, which I believe interlocks with 
the waters of the Miami, and empties into 



90 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

Sciota on the west side thereof. From the 
south end of the prairie to Ollentangy there 
is a large quantity of beech land, intermixed 
with first-rate land. Here we made our 
winter hut, and had considerable success in 
hunting. 

After some time one of Tontileaugo's 
stepsons (a lad about eight years of age) 
offended him, and he gave the boy a moder- 
ate whipping, which much displeased his 
Wyandot wife. She acknowledged that the 
boy was guilty of a fault, but thought that 
he ought to have been ducked, which is their 
usual mode of chastisement. She said she 
could not bear to have her son whipped like 
a servant or slave ; and she was so displeased, 
that when Tontileaugo went out to hunt, she 
got her two horses, and all her effects ( as in 
this country the husband and wife have sepa- 
rate interests), and moved back to the 
Wyandot camp that we had left. 

When Tontileaugo returned he was much 
disturbed on hearing of his wife's elopement. 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 91 

and said that he would never go after her, 
were it not that he was afraid that she would 
get bewildered, and that his children that 
she had taken with her might suffer. Ton- 
tileaugo went after his wife, and when they 
met they made up the quarrel ; and he never 
returned, but left Tecaughretanego and his 
son (a boy about ten years of age) , and my- 
self, who remained here in our hut all winter. 

Tecaughretanego had been a fost-rate 
warrior, statesman, and hunter, and though 
he was now near sixty years of age, was yet 
equal to the common run of hunters, but sub- 
ject to the rheumatism, which deprived him 
of the use of his legs. 

Shortly after Tontileaugo left us, Te- 
caughretanego became lame, and could 
scarcely walk out of our hut for two months. 
I had considerable success in hunting and 
trapping. Though Tecaughretanego en- 
dured much pain and misery, yet he bore it 
all with wonderful patience, and would often 
endeavor to entertain me with cheerful con- 



92 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

versation. Sometimes he would applaud me 
for my diligence, skill, and activity; and at 
other times he would take great care in giv- 
ing me instructions concerning the limiting 
and trapping business. He would also tell 
me that if I failed of success we would suffer 
very much, as we were about forty miles 
from any one living, that we knew of ; yet he 
would not intimate that he apprehended we 
were in any danger, but still supposed that 
I was fully adequate to the task. 

Tontileaugo left us a little before Christ- 
mas, and from that until some time in Feb- 
ruary we had always plenty of bear meat, 
venison, etc. During this time I killed much 
more than we could use ; but having no horses 
to carry in what I killed, I left part of it in 
the woods. In February there came a snow, 
with a crust, which made a great noise when 
walking on it, and frightened away the deer ; 
and as bear and beaver were scarce here, we 
got entirely out of provision. After I had 
hunted two days without eating anything, 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 93 

and had very short allowance for some days 
before, I returned late in the evening, faint 
and weary. When I came into our hut, 
Tecaughretanego asked what success. I 
told him not any. He asked me if I was 
not very hungry. I replied that the keen 
appetite seemed to be in some measure re- 
moved, but I was both faint and weary. He 
commanded Nunganey, his little son, to 
bring me something to eat, and he brought 
me a kettle with some bones and broth. 
After eating a few mouthfuls, my appetite 
violently returned, and I thought the victuals 
had a most agreeable relish, though it was 
only fox and w^ildcat bones, which lay about 
the camp, which the ravens and turkey-buz- 
zards had picked; these Nunganey had col- 
lected and boiled, until the sinews that 
remained on the bones would strip off. I 
speedily finished my allowance, such as it 
was, and when I had ended my sweet repast, 
Tecaughretanego asked me how I felt. I 
told him that I was much refreshed. He 



94 CAPTIVES. AMONG THE INDIANS 

then handed me his pipe and pouch, and told 
me to take a smoke. I did so. He then 
said he had something of importance to tell 
me, if I was now composed and ready to 
hear it. I told him that I was ready to hear 
him. He said the reason why he deferred 
his speech till now was because few men are 
in a right humor to hear good talk when they 
are extremely hungry, as they are then gen- 
erally fretful and discomposed; " But as you 
appear now to enjoy calmness and serenity 
of mind, I will now communicate to you the 
thoughts of my heart, and those things that 
I know to be true. 

"Brother, — As you have lived with the 
white people, you have not had the same 
advantage of knowing that the great Being 
above feeds his people, and gives them 
their meat in due season, as we Indians have, 
who are frequently out of provisions, and yet 
are wonderfully supplied, and that so fre- 
quently, that it is evidently the hand of the 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 95 

great Owaneeyo * that doth this. Whereas 
the white people have commonly large stocks 
of tame cattle, that they can kill when they 
please, and also their barns and cribs filled 
with grain, and therefore have not the same 
opportunity of seeing and knowing that they 
are supported by the Ruler of heaven and 
earth. 

"Brotlier, — I know that you are now 
afraid that we will all perish with hunger, 
but you have no just reason to fear this. 

^'Brother^ — I have been young, but now 
am old; I have been frequently under the 
like circumstances that we now are, and that 
some time or other in almost every year of 
my life ; yet I have hitherto been supported, 
and my wants supplied in time of need. 

"Brother, — Owaneeyo sometimes suffers 
us to be in want, in order to teach us our 
dependence upon him, and to let us know 
that we are to love and serve him; and like- 

* This is the name of God, in their tongue, and signifies 
the owner and ruler of all things. 



96 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

wise to know the worth of the favors that 
we receive, and to make us more thankful. 

''Brother, — Be assured that you will be 
supplied with food, and that just in the right 
time; but you must continue diligent in the 
use of means. Go to sleep, and rise early 
in the morning and go a-hunting ; be strong, 
and exert yourself like a man, and the Great 
Spirit will direct your way." 

The next morning I went out, and steered 
about an east course. I proceeded on slowly 
for about five miles, and saw deer frequently ; 
but as the crust on the snow made a great 
noise, they were always running before I 
spied them, so that I could not get a shot. 
A violent appetite returned, and I became 
intolerably hungry. It was now that I con- 
cluded I would run off to Pennsylvania, my 
native country. As the snow was on the 
gromid, and Indian hunters almost the whole 
of the way before me, I had but a poor pros- 
pect of making my escape, but my case ap- 
peared desperate. If I staid here, I 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 97 

thought I would perish with hunger, and if 
I met with Indians they could but kill me. 

I then proceeded on as fast as I could 
walk, and when I got about ten or twelve 
miles from our hut I came upon fresh buf- 
falo tracks; I pursued after, and in a short 
time came in sight of them as they were pass- 
ing through a small glade. I ran with all 
my might and headed them, where I lay in 
ambush, and killed a very large cow. I im- 
mediately kindled a fire and began to roast 
meat, but could not wait till it was done; I 
ate it almost raw. When hunger was 
abated I began to be tenderly concerned for 
my old Indian brother and the little boy I 
had left in a perishing condition. I made 
haste and packed up what meat I could 
carry, secured what I left from the wolves, 
and returned homewards. 

I scarcely thought on the old man's speech 
while I was almost distracted with hunger, 
but on my return was much affected with it, 
reflected on mj^self for my hard-heartedness 



98 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

and ingratitude, in attempting to run off and 
leave the venerable old man and little boy 
to perish with hunger. I also considered 
how remarkably the old man's speech had 
been verified in our providentially obtaining 
a supply. I thought also of that part of his 
speech which treated of the fractious disposi- 
tions of hungry people, which was the only 
excuse I had for my base inhumanity, in 
attempting to leave them in the most de- 
plorable situation. 

As it was moonlight, I got home to our 
hut, and found the old man in his usual good- 
humor. He thanked me for my exertion, 
and bid me sit down, as I must certainly be 
fatigued, and he commanded Nunganey to 
make haste and cook. I told him I would 
cook for him, and let the boy lay some meat 
on the coals for himself; which he did, but 
ate it almost raw, as I had done. I imme- 
diately hung on the kettle with some water, 
and cut the beef in thin slices, and put them 
in. When it had boiled awhile, I proposed 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 99 

taking it off the fire, but the old man replied, 
"Let it be done enough." This he said in as 
patient and unconcerned a manner as if 
he had not wanted one single meal. He 
commanded Nunganey to eat no more beef 
at that time, lest he might hurt himself, but 
told him to sit down, and after some time he 
might sup some broth; this command he re- 
luctantly obeyed. 

When we were all refreshed, Tecaughre- 
tanego delivered a speech upon the necessity 
and pleasure of receiving the necessary sup- 
ports of life with thankfulness, knowing that 
Owaneeyo is the great giver. Such speeches 
from an Indian may be thought by those 
who are unacquainted with them altogether 
incredible; but when we reflect on the In- 
dian war, we may readily conclude that they 
are not an ignorant or stupid sort of people, 
or they would not have been such fatal ene- 
mies. When they came into our country 
they outwitted us ; and when we sent armies 
into their country, they outgeneralled and 



100 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

beat us with inferior force. Let us also take 
into consideration that Tecaughretanego was 
no common person, but was among the In- 
dians as Socrates in the ancient heathen 
world; and, it may be, equal to him, if not 
in wisdom and in learning, yet perhaps in 
patience and fortitude. Notwithstanding 
Tecaughretanego's uncommon natural abili- 
ties, yet in the sequel of this history you will 
see the deficiency of the light of nature, un- 
aided by revelation, in this truly great man. 

The next morning Tecaughretanego de- 
sired me to go back and bring another load 
of buff(ilo beef. As I j)roceeded to do so, 
about five miles from our hut I found a bear 
tree. As a sapling grew near the tree, and 
reached near the hole that the bear went in 
at, I got dry dozed or rotten wood, that 
would catch and hold fire almost as well as 
spunk. This wood I tied up in bunches, 
fixed them on my back, and then climbed up 
the sapling, and with a pole I put them, 
touched with fire, into the hole, and then 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 101 

came down and took my gun ir( my hand. 
After some time the bear came out, and I 
killed and skinned it, packed up a load of the 
meat (after securing the remainder from the 
wolves), and returned home before night. 
On my return my old brother and his son 
were much rejoiced at my success. After 
this we had plenty of provisions. 

We remained here until some time in 
April, 1758. At this time Tecaughretanego 
had recovered so that he could walk about. 
We made a bark canoe, embarked, and went 
down Ollentangy some distance, but, the 
water being low, we were in danger of split- 
ting our canoe upon the rocks ; therefore Te- 
caughretanego concluded we would encamp 
on shore, and pray for rain. 

When we encamped Tecaughretanego 
made himself a sweat-house, which he did by 
sticking a number of hoops in the ground, 
each hoop forming a semicircle ; this he cov- 
ered all round with blankets and skins. He 
then prepared hot stones, which he rolled 



102 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

into this hut, and then went into it himself 
with a little kettle of water in his hand, 
mixed with a variety of herbs, which he had 
formerly cured, and had now with him in his 
pack ; they afforded an odoriferous perfume. 
When he was in, he told me to pull down 
the blankets behind him, and cover all up 
close, which I did, and then he began to pour 
water upon the hot stones, and to sing aloud. 
He continued in this vehement hot place 
about fifteen minutes. All this he did in 
order to purify himself before he would ad- 
dress the Supreme Being. When he came 
out of his sweat-house he began to burn to- 
bacco and pray. He began each petition 
with "Oh, ho, ho, ho,'' which is a kind of as- 
piration, and signifies an ardent wish. I ob- 
served that all his petitions were only for 
immediate or present temporal blessings. 
He began his address by thanksgiving in the 
following manner: 

"O Great Being! I thank thee that I 
have obtained the use of my legs again ; that 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 103 

I am now able to walk about and kill tur- 
keys, etc., without feeling exquisite pain and 
misery. I know that thou art a hearer and 
a helper, and therefore I will call upon thee. 

"Oh, ho, ho, ho, 

"Grant that my knees and ankles may be 
right well, and that I may be able, not only 
to walk, but to run and to jump logs, as I 
did last fall. 

''Oh, ho, ho, ho, 

"Grant that on this voyage we may fre- 
quently kill bears, as they may be crossing 
the Scioto and Sandusky. 

''Oh, ho, ho, ho, 

"Grant that we may kill plenty of turkeys 
along the banks, to stew with our fat bear 
meat. 

"Oh, ho, ho, ho, 

"Grant that rain may come to raise the 
Ollentangy about two or three feet, that we 
may cross in safety down to Scioto, without 
danger of our canoe being wrecked on the 
rocks. And now, O Great Being, thou 



104. CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

knowest how matters stand; thou knowest 
that I am a great lover of tobacco, and 
though I know not when I may get any 
more, I now make a present of the last I 
have unto thee, as a free burnt-offering; 
therefore I expect thou wilt hear and grant 
these requests, and I, thy servant, will re- 
turn thee thanks and love thee for thy gifts." 

During the whole of this scene I sat by 
Tecaughretanego, and as he went through it 
with the greatest solemnity I was seriously 
affected with his prayers. I remained duly 
composed until he came to the burning of the 
tobacco ; and as I knew he was a great lover 
of it, and saw him cast the last of it into 
the fire, it excited in me a kind of merriment, 
and I insensibly smiled. Tecaughretanego 
observed me laughing, which displeased him, 
and occasioned him to address me in the fol- 
lowing manner. 

''Brother, — I have somewhat to say to 
you, and I hope you will not be offended 
when I tell you of your faults. You loiow 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 105 

that when you were reading your books in 
town I would not let the boys or any one dis- 
turb you; but now, when I was praying, I 
saw you laughing. I do not think that you 
look upon praying as a foolish thing; I be- 
lieve you pray yourself. But perhaps you 
may think my mode or manner of praying 
foolish ; if so, you ought in a friendly manner 
to instruct me, and not make sport of sacred 
things." 

I acknowledged my error, and on this he 
handed me his pipe to smoke, in token of 
friendship and reconciliation, though at this 
time he had nothing to smoke but red-willow 
bark. I told him something of the method 
of reconciliation with an offended God, as 
revealed in my Bible, which I had then in 
possession. He said that he liked my story 
better than that of the French priests, but 
he thought that he was now too old to begin 
to learn a new religion, therefore he should 
continue to worship God in the way that he 
had been taught, and that if salvation or 



106 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

future happiness was to be had in his way of 
worship, he expected he would obtain it, and 
if it was inconsistent with the honor of the 
Great Spirit to accept of him in his own way 
of worship, he hoped that Owaneeyo would 
accept of him in the way I had mentioned, or 
in some other way, though he might now be 
ignorant of the channel through which favor 
or mercy might be conveyed. He said that 
he believed that Owaneeyo would hear and 
help every one that sincerely waited upon 
him. 

A few days after Tecaughretanego had 
gone through his ceremonies and finished his 
prayers, the rain came and raised the creek 
a sufficient height, so that we passed in safety 
down to Scioto, and proceeded up to the 
carrying-place. We proceeded from this 
place down Sandusky, and in our passage we 
killed four bears and a number of turkeys. 
Tecaughretanego appeared now fully per- 
suaded that all this came in answer to his 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 107 

prayers, and who can say with any degree of 
certainty that it was not so ? 

When we came to the Httle lake at the 
mouth of Sandusky, we called at a Wyandot 
town that was then there, called Sunyende- 
and. Here we diverted ourselves several 
days by catching rock-fish in a small creek, 
the name of which is also Sunyendeand, 
which signifies rock-fish. They fished in the 
night with lights, and struck the fish with 
gigs or spears. The rock-fish here, when 
they begin first to run up the creek to spawn, 
are exceedingly fat, sufficiently so to fry 
themselves. The first night we scarcely 
caught fish enough for present use for all 
that were in the town. 

The next morning I met with a prisoner at 
this place by the name of Thompson, who 
had been taken from Virginia. He told me, 
if the Indians would only omit disturbing 
the fish for one night, he could catch more 
fish than the whole town could make use of. 



108 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

I told Mr. Thompson that if he was certain 
he could do this, that I would use my in- 
fluence with the Indians to let the fish alone 
for one night. I applied to the chiefs, who 
agreed to my proposal, and said they were 
anxious to see what the Great Knife (as 
they called the Virginian) could do. Mr. 
Thompson, with the assistance of some other 
prisoners, set to work, and made a hoop-net 
of ehii-bark ; they then cut down a tree across 
the creek, and stuck in stakes at the lower 
side of it to prevent the fish from passing up, 
leaving only a gap at the one side of the 
creek ; here he sat with his net, and when he 
felt the fish touch the net he drew it up, and 
frequently would haul out two or three rock- 
fish that would weigh about five or six 
pounds each. He continued at this until he 
had hauled out about a wagon-load, and then 
left the gap open in order to let them pass 
up, for they could not go far on account of 
the shallow water. Before day Mr. Thomp- 
son shut it up, to prevent them from passing 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 109 

down, in order to let the Indians have some 
diversion in kilHng them in daylight. 

When the news of the fish came to town 
the Indians all collected, and with surprise 
beheld the large heap of fish, and applauded 
the ingenuity of the Virginian. When they 
saw the number of them that were confined 
in the water above the tree, the young In- 
dians ran back to the town, and in a short 
time returned with their spears, gigs, bows 
and arrows, etc., and were the chief part of 
that day engaged in killing rock-fish, inso- 
much that we had more than we could use or 
preserve. As we had no salt, or any way to 
keep them, they lay upon the banks, and 
after some time great numbers of turkey- 
buzzards and eagles collected together and 
devoured them. 

Shortly after this we left Sunyendeand, 
and in three days arrived at Detroit, where 
we remained this summer. 

Some time in INIay we heard that General 
Forbes, with seven thousand men, was pre- 



110 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

paring to carry on a campaign against Fort 
Du Quesne, which then stood near where 
Fort Pitt was afterwards erected. Upon 
receiving this news, a number of rminers 
were sent off by the French commander at 
Detroit to urge the different tribes of Indian 
warriors to repair to Fort Du Quesne. 

Some time in July, 1758, the Ottawas, 
Jibewas, Potowatomies, and Wyandots ren- 
dezvoused at Detroit, and marched off to Fort 
Du Quesne, to prepare for the encounter of 
General Forbes. The common report was 
that they would serve him as they did Gen- 
eral Braddock, and obtain much plunder. 
From this time until fall we had frequent 
accounts of Forbes's army, by Indian run- 
ners that were sent out to watch their mo- 
tion. They espied them frequently from the 
mountains even after they left Fort Loudon. 
Notwithstanding their vigilance. Colonel 
Grant, with his Highlanders, stole a march 
upon them, and in the night took possession 
of a hill about eighty rods from Fort Du 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 111 

Quesne; this hill is on that account called 
Grant's Hill to this day. The French and 
Indians knew not that Grant and his men 
were there, until they beat the drum and 
played upon the bagpipes just at daylight. 
They then flew to arms, and the Indians ran 
up under cover of the banks of the Alle- 
ghany and Monongahela for some distance, 
and then sallied out from the banks of the 
rivers, and took possession of the hill above 
Grant; and as he was on the point of it, in 
sight of the fort, they immediately sur- 
rounded him ; and as he had his Highlanders 
in ranks, and in very close order, and the 
Indians scattered and concealed behind trees, 
they defeated him with the loss only of a 
few warriors ; most of the Highlanders were 
killed or taken prisoners. 

After this defeat the Indians held a coun- 
cil, but were divided in their opinions. 
Some said that General Forbes would now 
turn back, and go home the way that he 
came, as Dunbar had done when General 



112 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

Braddock was defeated; others supposed he 
would come on. The French urged the In- 
dians to stay and see the event; but as it 
was hard for the Indians to be absent from 
their squaws and children at this season of 
the year, a great many of them returned 
home to their hunting. After this the re- 
mainder of the Indians, some French reg- 
ulars, and a number of Canadians, marched 
off in quest of General Forbes. They met 
his army near Fort Ligoneer, and attacked 
them, but were frustrated in their design. 
They said that Forbes's men were beginning 
to learn the art of war, and that there were 
a great number of American riflemen along 
with the redcoats, who scattered out, took 
trees, and were good marksmen; therefore 
they found they could not accomplish their 
design, and were obliged to retreat. When 
they returned from the battle to Fort Du 
Quesne, the Indians concluded that they 
would go to their hunting. The French en- 
deavored to persuade them to stay and try 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 113 

another battle. The Indians said if it was 
only the redcoats they had to do with they 
could soon subdue them, but they could not 
withstand Aslialecoa, or the Great Knife, 
which was the name they gave the Vir- 
ginians. They then returned home to their 
liunting, and the French evacuated the fort, 
which General Forbes came and took pos- 
session of, without further opposition, late in 
the year 1758, and at this time began to build 
Fort Pitt. 

When Tecaughretanego had heard the 
particulars of Grant's defeat he said that 
he could not well account for his contra- 
dictory and inconsistent conduct. He said, 
as the art of war consists in ambushing and 
surprising our enemies, and in preventing 
them from ambushing and surprising us, 
Grant, in the first place, acted like a wise 
and experienced warrior in artfully ap- 
proaching in the night without being dis- 
covered ; but when he came to the place, and 
the Indians were lying asleep outside of the 



114 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

fort, between him and the Alleghany River, 
in place of slipping up quietly, and falling 
upon them with their broadswords, they beat 
the drums and played upon the bagpipes. 
He said he could account for this inconsistent 
conduct in no other way than by supposing 
that he had made too free with spirituous 
liquors during the night, and became intoxi- 
cated about daylight. But to return. 

This year we huated up Sandusky and 
down Scioto, and toe!; nearly the same route 
that we had done the last hunting season. 
We had considerable success, and retui'ned 
to Detroit some time in April, 1759. 

Shortly after this Tecaughretanego, his 
son Nunganey, and myself went from De- 
troit (in an elm-bark canoe) to Caughne- 
waga, a very ancient Indian town, about 
nine miles above JVIontreal, v/here I remained 
until about the first of July. I then heard 
of a French ship at Montreal that had Eng- 
lish prisoners on board, in order to carry 
them over sea and exchange them. I went 



SMITH AMONG THE DELAWARES 115 

privately off from the Indians, and got also 
on board ; but as General Wolfe had stopped 
the river St. Lawrence, we were all sent to 
prison in Montreal, where I remained four 
months. Some time in November we were 
all sent off from this place to Crown Point, 
and exchanged. 

Early in the year 1760 I came home to 
Conococheague, and found that my people 
could never ascertain whether I was killed or 
taken until my return. They received me 
with great joy, but were surprised to see me 
so much like an Indian, both in my gait and 
gesture. 

Upon inquiry, I found that my sweetheart 
was married a few days before I arrived. 
My feelings I must leave, on this occasion, 
for those of my readers to judge who have 
felt the pangs of disappointed love, as it is 
impossible now for me to describe the emo- 
tion of soul I felt at that time. 

In the year 1788 I settled in Bourbon 
County, Kentucky, seven miles above Paris, 



116 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

and in the same year was elected a member 
of the convention that sat at Danville to 
confer about a separation from the State of 
Virginia; and from that year until the year 
1799 I represented Bourbon County either 
in convention or as a member of the General 
Assembly, except two years that I was left a 
few votes behind. 



II 

THE NARRATIVE OF 

FRANCESCO GIUSEPPE BRESSANI^ S. J., 

RELATING HIS 

CAPTIVITY AMONG THE IROQUOIS, IN 1644. 

The Italian Jesuit missionary Father Bressani was 
born in Rome, 6 May, 1612. At the age of fourteen he 
entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. Becom- 
ing zealous to serve as missionary among the Amer- 
ican Indians, he went to Quebec in the summer of 
1642, and the following year he was sent among the 
Algonquins at Three Rivers. 

In April, 1644, while on his way to the Huron coun- 
try, where a mission had been established, he was cap- 
tured by the Iroquois, who at that time were an ex- 
ceedingly fierce and even cannibal nation, perpetually 
at war with nearly the whole known continent. By 
them he was subjected to tortures, but finally was 
made over to an old squaw to take the place of a de- 
ceased relative. From her he was ransomed by the 
Dutch at Fort Orange (the modern Albany), and by 
them he was sent to France, where he arrived in No- 
vember, 1644. 

Despite his terrible experiences among the savages, 
117 



118 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

and his maimed condition, the indomitable missionary 
returned to Canada the next spring, and labored with 
the Hurons until their mission was destroyed by the 
Iroquois four years later. 

In November, 1650, Bressani, in broken health, went 
back to his native land. Here he spent many years as 
a preacher and home missionary. He died at Flor- 
ence, 9 September, 1672. 

The following account of Father Bressani's suffer- 
ings among the Indians is translated from two of his 
own letters in his book Breve Relatione d'alcune 
Mission! nella Nuova Francia, published at Macerata 
in 1653. (Editor.) 

FIRST LETTER, 

Dated "From the Iroquois, the 
15th of July, 1644." 

OUR MOST REVEREND FATHER IN CHRIST: 

PAX CHRISTI—1 know not 
whether Your Paternity will 
recognize the handwriting of a 
poor cripple, who formerly, when in perfect 
health, was well known to you. The letter 
is badly written, and quite soiled, because, 
among other inconveniences, the writer has 
but one whole finger on his right hand, and 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 119 

can scarcely prevent the paper's being 
stained by the blood which flows from his 
yet unhealed wounds. His ink is arquebuse 
powder [gunpowder rubbed up with water], 
and his table the bare earth. He writes to 
you from the land of the Iroquois, where he 
is now a captive, and would briefly relate 
what Divine Providence has at last ordained 
for him. 

I set out from Three Rivers, by order of 
the Superior, the 27th of last April, in com- 
pany with six Christian Indians and a young 
Frencliman, with three canoes, to go to the 
country of the Hurons. 

On the evening of the first day, the Huron 
who steered our canoe, when firing at an 
eagle, upset us into Lake St. Pierre. I did 
not know how to swim, but two Hurons 
caught me and drew me to the shore, where 
we spent the night, all drenched. The 
Hurons took this accident for an ill-omen, 
and advised me to return to our starting 
point, which was only eight or ten miles off. 



120 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

"Certainly," they cried, "this voyage will not 
prove fortunate." As I feared that there 
might be some superstition in this discourse, 
I preferred to push on to another French fort 
[Richelieu], thirty miles higher up, where 
we might recruit a little. They obeyed me, 
and we started quite early the next morning, 
but the snow and bad weather greatly re- 
tarded our speed, and compelled us to stop 
at midday. 

On the third day, when twenty-two or 
twenty-four miles from Three Rivers, and 
seven or eight from Fort Richelieu, we fell 
into an ambuscade of twenty-seven Iroquois, 
who killed one of our Indians, and took the 
rest and myself prisoners. We might have 
fled, or killed some Iroquois ; but I, for my 
part, seeing my companions taken, judged 
it better to remain with them, accepting it as 
a sign of the will of God. . . . 

Those who had captured us made horrible 
cries, and after profuse thanks to the Sun 
for having in their hands, among the others. 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 121 

a "Black Robe," as they call the Jesuits, they 
changed the canoes. Then they took from 
us everything; that is, provisions for all of 
ours residing among the Hurons, who were 
in extreme want, inasmuch as they had 
for several years received no aid from Eu- 
rope. 

Having commanded us to sing, they led 
us to a little river hard by, where they 
divided the booty, and scalped the Huron 
whom they had killed. The scalp was to be 
carried in triumph on a pole. They also 
cut off the feet, hands, and most fleshy parts 
of the body to eat, as well as the heart. 

Then they made us cross the lake to pass 
the night in a retired but very damp spot. 
We there began to take our sleep bound 
and in the open air, as we continued to do 
during the rest of the voyage. . . . 

The following day we embarked on a 
river, and after some miles they ordered me 
to throw overboard my papers, which they 
had left me till then. They superstitiously 



122 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

imagined that these had caused the wreck of 
our canoe. They were surprised to see me 
grieve at this loss, who had never shown any 
regret for all else. We were two days in 
ascending this river to the rapids [of 
Chambly], which compelled us to land, and 
we marched six days in the woods. 

The next day, which was Friday, the sixth 
of May, we met other Iroquois going out to 
war. They added some blows to the many 
threats they had made ; and having related to 
us the death of one of their party, killed by 
a Frenchman, was the cause of their com- 
mencing to treat me with greater cruelty 
than before. 

At the moment of our capture the Iroquois 
were dying of hunger; so that, in two or 
three days, they consumed all our provisions, 
and we had no food during the rest of the 
way but from hunting, fishing, or some wild 
roots, if any were found. Their want was 
so great that they picked up on the shore a 
dead beaver already putrefying. They gave 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 123 

it to me in the evening to wash in the river; 
but, its stench leading me to beheve that 
they did not want it, I threw it into the 
water. I was paid for that by a severe pen- 
ance. 

I will not here relate all I had to suffer in 
that voyage. It is enough to say that we 
had to carry our loads in the woods where 
there were no roads, but only stones, shoots, 
holes, water, and snow, which had not yet 
everywhere melted. We were barefooted, 
and were left fasting sometimes till three or 
four o'clock in the afternoon, and often 
during the whole day, exposed to the rain, 
and drenched with the waters of the torrents 
and rivers which we had to cross. 

When evening was come I was ordered to 
go for wood, to bring water, and to cook 
when they had any provisions. When I did 
not succeed, or misunderstood the orders 
which I received, blows were not spared; 
still less when we met other barbarians going 
to fish or hunt. It was not easy for me to 



124 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

rest at night, because they tied me to a tree, 
leaving me exposed to the keen night air, 
which was still quite cold. 

We at last arrived at their lake [Cham- 
plain]. We had to make other canoes, in 
which I too had to do my part. After five 
or six days' sailing we landed, and marched 
for three more. 

The fourth day, which was the fifteenth 
of ]May, we arrived about the twentieth hour 
[3 p. M.], and before having as yet taken 
any food, at a river where some four hun- 
dred barbarians were gathered fishing. 
Hearing of our approach, they came out to 
meet us. When about two hundred paces 
from their cabins, they stripped off all my 
clothes, and made me march ahead. The 
young men formed a line on each side, armed 
with sticks, except the first one, who held a 
knife in his hand. 

When I began my march this one stopped 
my passage, and, seizing my left hand, cleft 
it open with his knife between the little 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 125 

finger and the ring finger, with such force 
and violence that I thought he would lay 
open my whole hand. The others then be- 
gan to load me with blows till I reached the 
stage which they had erected for our torture. 
Then I had to mount on great pieces of bark, 
raised about nine palms high so as to give 
the crowd an opportunity to see and insult 
us. I was all drenched and covered with 
blood that streamed from every part of my 
body, and exposed to a very cold wind that 
made it congeal immediately on my skin. 
But I consoled myself, seeing that God 
granted me the favor of suffering in this 
world some pain in place of what I was 
under obligation, on account of my sins, to 
pay in the other with torments incomparably 
greater. 

The warriors came next, and were re- 
ceived by the people with great ceremony, 
and regaled with the best of all that their 
fishing supplied. They bade us sing. 
Judge whether we could do so, fasting, worn 



126 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

down by marching, broken bj^ their blows, 
and shivering from head to foot with cold. 

Shortly after, a Huron slave brought me 
a little Indian corn, and a captain, who saw 
me all trembling with cold, at last, at my 
entreaty, gave me back the half of an old 
summer cassock, all in tatters, which served 
to cover rather than warm me. 

We had to sing till the warriors went 
away, and were then left at the mercy of 
the youths, who made us come down from 
the scaffold, where we had been about two 
hours, to make us dance in their fashion; 
and, because I did not succeed, nor indeed 
knew how, they beat me, pricked me, plucked 
out my hair, my beard, etc. 

They kept us five or six days in this place 
for their pastime, leaving us at the discretion 
or indiscretion of every one. We were 
obliged to obey even the children, and that 
in things unreasonable, and often contra- 
dictory. "Sing!" cries one. "Hold your 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 127 

tongue!" saj^s another. If I obeyed the 
first, the latter tormented me. "Stretch out 
your hand; I want to burn it." Another 
burned it because I did not extend it to Jiim. 
They commanded me to take fire between 
the fingers to put in their pipes, full of to- 
bacco, and then let it fall on the ground pur- 
posely four or five times, one after another, 
to make me burn myself picking it up each 
time. 

These scenes usually took place at night. 
Towards evening the captains cried in fear- 
ful voices around the cabins, "Gather, ye 
young men ; come and caress our prisoners !" 

On this they flocked together, and as- 
sembled in some large cabin. There the 
remnant of dress which had been given me 
was torn off, leaving me naked. Then some 
goaded me with pointed sticks ; some burned 
me with firebrands or red-hot stones, while 
others used burning ashes or hot coals. 
They made me walk around the fire on hot 



128 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

ashes, under which they had stuck sharp 
sticks in the ground. Some plucked out my 
hair, others my beard. 

Every night, after making me sing, and 
tormenting me as above, they spent eight or 
ten minutes in burning one of my nails or a 
finger. Of the ten that I had I have now 
but one left whole, and even of that they 
have torn out the nail with their teeth. One 
evening they burned a nail ; the next day the 
first joint; the day after, the second. By 
the sixth time they burned almost six. To 
the hands they applied fire and iron more 
than eighteen times ; and during this torment 
I was obliged to sing. They ceased tortur- 
ing me only at one or two o'clock at night. 
Then they usually left me tied to the ground 
in some spot exposed to the rain, with no 
bed or blanket, but a small skin which did 
not cover half my body, and often even with- 
out any covering; for they had already torn 
up the piece of a cassock which had been 
given me. Yet, out of compassion, they left 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 129 

me enough to cover what decency, even 
among them, requires to be concealed. 
They kept the rest. 

For a whole month I had to undergo these 
cruelties, and greater still, but we remained 
only eight days in the first place. I never 
would have believed that man could endure 
so hard a life. 

One night that they were as usual tor- 
turing me, a Huron, taken prisoner with 
me, seeing one of his companions escape tor- 
ments by siding against me, suddenly cried 
out, in the middle of the assembled throng, 
that I was a person of rank, and a captain 
among the French. This they heard with 
great attention; then, raising a loud shout 
in sign of joy, they resolved to treat me stifl 
worse, and the next morning I was con- 
demned to be burnt alive, and to be eaten. 
They then began to guard me more nar- 
rowly. The men and children never left me 
alone, even in the necessities of nature, but 
came tormenting me to force me to return 



130 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

to the cabin with all speed, fearing that I 
might take flight. 

We left there the 26th of IMay, and four 
days after reached the first village of this 
nation. In this march on foot, what with 
rain and other hardships, I suffered more 
than I had yet done. The barbarian then 
my keeper was more cruel than the first. I 
was wounded, weak, ill-fed, half naked, and 
slept in the open air, bound to a stake or a 
tree, shivering all night with cold and from 
the pain caused by my bonds. 

At difficult places in the road my weak- 
ness called for help, but it was refused ; and 
even when I fell, renewing my wounds, they 
showered blows on me again, to force me to 
march; for they believed that I did it pur- 
posely to lag behind, and so escape. 

One time, among others, I fell into a river, 
and was like to have drowned. However, I 
got out, I know not how, and in this plight 
had to march nearly six miles more till even- 
ing, with a very heavy burden on my shoul- 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 131 

ders. They jeered at me and at my awk- 
wardness in falling into the water, and they 
did not omit, at night, to burn off one of my 
nails. 

We at last reached the first village of this 
nation, and here our reception resembled the 
first, but was still more cruel. Besides blows 
from their fists, and other blows, which I 
received in the most sensitive parts of my 
body, they a second time slit open my left 
hand, between the middle finger and the fore 
finger, and the bastinade was such that I fell 
half dead on the ground. I thought I would 
lose my right eye forever. As I did not rise, 
because I was unable to do so, they continued 
to beat me, especially on the breast and head. 
I should surely have expired beneath their 
blows had not a captain caused me to be 
dragged by main strength upon a stage 
made, like the former one, of bark. There 
they soon after cut off the thumb and man- 
gled the fore finger of my left hand. Mean- 
while a great rain came, with thunder and 



132 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

lightning, and they went away, leaving us 
exposed naked to the storm, till some one, I 
know not who, took pity on us, and in the 
evening took us into his cabin. 

Here we were tormented with more 
cruelty and impudence than ever, without 
leaving a moment's rest. They forced me to 
eat filth, and burned some of my fingers and 
the rest of my nails. They dislocated my 
toes, and ran a firebrand through one of 
them. I know not what they did not do to 
me another time, when I pretended to faint, 
so as to seem not to see an indecent action. 

After glutting their cruelty here, they 
sent us into another village, nine or ten miles 
further. Here they added to the torments 
of which I have spoken that of hanging me 
up by my feet, either with cords or with 
chains, which they had taken from the Dutch. 
By night I lay stretched on the ground, 
naked and bound, according to their custom, 
to several stakes, by the feet, hands, and 
neck. The torments which I had to suffer 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 133 

in this state, for six or seven nights, were in 
such places, and of such nature, that it is not 
lawful to describe them, nor could they be 
read without blushing. I seldom closed my 
eyes those nights, which, though the shortest 
of the year, seemed to me most long. "My 
God, what will purgatory be?" This 
thought lightened my pains not a little. 

In this way of living I had become so fetid 
and horrible that every one drove me away 
like a thing of carrion, and they never came 
near me save to torment me. Scarcely any- 
one would feed me, although I had not the 
use of my hands, as they were extraordi- 
narily swollen and putrid. Thus I was still 
further tormented by hunger, which led me 
to eat Indian corn raw, not without concern 
for my health, and made me find a relish in 
chewing clay, although I could not easily 
swallow it. 

I was covered with loathsome vermin, and 
could neither get rid of them nor defend my- 
self from them. In my wounds worms were 



134* CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

born ; more than four fell out of one finger in 
one day. . . . 

I had an abscess in the right thigh, caused 
by blows and frequent falls, which hindered 
me from all repose, and especially as I had 
only skin and bone, and the earth, for bed. 
Several times the barbarians had tried, but 
failed, to open it with sharp stones — not 
without great pain to me. I was forced to 
employ as surgeon the renegade Huron 
who had been taken with us. He, on what 
was supposed to be the eve of my death, 
opened it for me with four knife-thrusts, and 
caused blood and matter to issue from it in 
so great abundance, and with such stench, 
that all the barbarians of the cabin were con- 
strained to abandon it. 

I desired and was awaiting death, though 
not without some horror of the fii'e. Still I 
was preparing for it as best I could, and was 
conmiending myself to the Mother of Mercy, 
who was, after God, the sole refuge of a 
poor sinner forsaken by all creatures in a 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 135 

strange land, without a language to make 
himself understood, without friends to con- 
sole him, without sacraments to strengthen 
him, and without any human remedy to 
sweeten his ills. 

The Huron and Algonquin prisoners 
(these are our barbarians), instead of con- 
soling me, were the first to torment me, in 
order to please the Iroquois. 

I did not see the good Guillaume [Cous- 
ture], except afterward, when my life was 
spared me, and the boy who had been taken 
in my company was no more with me. They 
had noticed that I had him say his prayers, 
and that they did not favor. But they did 
not let him escape torments, for, although 
he was no more than twelve or thirteen years 
old, they tore out five of his nails with their 
teeth ; and, on his arrival in the country, they 
bound his wrists tightly with thongs, causing 
him the severest pain — and all before me, to 
afflict me the more. . . . 

My days being thus filled up with suffer- 



136 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

ings, and my nights being spent without re- 
pose, I counted in the month five days more 
than there were; but, seeing the moon one 
night, I corrected my error. I was ignorant 
why the savages so long deferred my death. 
They told me that it was to fatten me before 
eating me; though they took no means to 
do so. 

One day, at last, they assembled to des- 
patch me. It was the nineteenth of June, 
which I deemed the last of my life, and I 
begged a captain to put me to death, if pos- 
sible, otherwise than by fire ; but another man 
exhorted him to stand firm in the resolution 
ah'eady taken. The first then told me that 
I was to die neither by fire nor by any other 
death. I could not believe it, nor do I know 
whether he spoke in earnest; yet finally it 
was as he said, because such was the will of 
God and of the Virgin jMother. . . . 

The barbarians themselves marveled at 
this result, so contrary was it to their inten- 
tions, as the Dutch have written to me. I 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 137 

was therefore given, with all the usual cere- 
monies, to an old woman, to replace her 
grandfather, formerly killed by the Hurons, 
but instead of having me burned, as all de- 
sired, and had already resolved, she redeemed 
me from their hands at the expense of some 
beads, which the French call "porcelain" 
[wampum] . 

I live here in the midst of the shadows of 
death, hearing nothing spoken of but murder 
and assassination. They have recently mur- 
dered one of their own countrymen in his 
cabin, as useless and unworthy to live. 

I have still something to suffer; my 
wounds are yet open, and many of the bar- 
barians look upon me with no kindly eye. 
But we cannot live without crosses, and this 
is like sugar in comparison with the past. 

The Dutch gave me hopes of my ransom, 
and that of the boy taken prisoner with me. 
God's will be done in time and in eternity! 
My hope will be still more confirmed, if you 
grant me a share in your holy sacrifices and 



138 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

prayers, and those of our fathers and breth- 
ren, especially of those who knew me in other 
days. 

SECOND LETTER, 

Dated "From New Amsterdam, the 
31st of August, 1644." 

I have found no one to carry the enclosed, 
so that you will receive it at the same time as 
the present one, w^hich will give you the news 
of my deliverance from the hands of the bar- 
barians, whose captive I was. I am in- 
debted for it to the Dutch, and they obtained 
it with no great difficulty, for a moderate 
ransom, on account of the little value which 
the Indians attached to me, from my un- 
handiness at everything, and because they 
believed that I would never get well of my 
ailments. 

I have been twice sold: first to the old 
woman who was to have me burned, and 
next to the Dutch, dear enough, that is, for 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 139 

about fifteen or twenty doppias [sixty to 
eighty dollars in gold] . 

I chanted my "exodus from Egypt" the 
nineteenth of August, a day that is in the 
octave of the Assumption of the Blessed 
Virgin, who was my deliverer. 

I was a prisoner among the Iroquois for 
four months; but small is that compared to 
what my sins deserve. I was unable, during 
my captivity, to render to any of those 
wretched beings, in return for the evil they 
did me, the good which was the object of my 
desires ; that is, impart to them a knowledge 
of the true God. Not knowing the lan- 
guage, I tried to instruct, through a captive 
interpreter, an old man who was dying ; but 
he was too proud to listen to me, answering 
that a man of his age and standing should 
teach, and not be taught. I asked him if he 
knew whither he would go after death. He 
answered me: "To the Sunset." Then he 
began to relate their fables and delusions, 



140 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

which those wretched people, bHnded by the 
Demon, esteem as the most solid truths. 

I baptized none but a Huron. They had 
brought him where I was, to burn him, and 
those who guarded me told me to go and 
see him. I did so with reluctance ; for they 
had told me falsely that he was not one of 
our Indians, and that I could not understand 
him. I advanced towards the crowd, which 
opened and let me approach this man, even 
then all disfigured by the tortures. He 
was stretched upon the bare gromid, with 
nothing to rest his head upon. Seeing a 
stone near me, I pushed it with my foot to- 
wards his head, to serve him as a pillow. He 
then looked up at me, and either some wisp 
of beard that I had left, or some other mark, 
made him suppose I was a foreigner. 

"Is not this man," said he to his keeper, 
"the European whom you hold captive?" 

Being answered "Yes," he again cast to- 
wards me a piteous look. "Sit down, my 



NARRATIVE OF BRESSANI 141 

brother, by me," said he; "I would speak 
with thee." 

I sat down, though not without horror, 
such was the stench that exhaled from his 
already half-roasted body. Happy to be 
able to understand him a little, because he 
spoke Huron, I asked him what he desired, 
hoping to be able to profit by the occasion 
to instruct and baptize him. To my great 
consolation I was anticipated by the an- 
swer: 

"What do I ask?" he said; "I ask but one 
thing, baptism. Make haste, for the time is 
short." 

I wished to question him as to the faith, so 
as not to administer a sacrament with pre- 
cipitation; but I found him perfectly in- 
structed, having been already received 
among the catechumens in the Huron coun- 
try. I therefore baptized him, to his and 
my own great satisfaction. Though I had 
done so by a kind of stratagem, using the 



142 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

water which I had brought for him to drink, 
the Iroquois nevertheless perceived it. The 
captains were at once informed, and, with 
angry threats, drove me from the hut, and 
then began to torture him as before. 

The following morning they roasted him 
alive. Then, because I had baptized him, 
they brought all his members, one by one, 
into the cabin where I was. Before my eyes 
they skinned and ate the feet and hands. 
The husband of the mistress of the lodge 
threw at my feet the dead man's head, and 
left it there a long while, reproaching me 
with what I had done, alluding to the bap- 
tism and prayers which I had offered with 
him, and saying: "And what indeed have 
thy enchantments helped him? Have they 
perhaps delivered him from death?" 



Ill 

NARRATIVE OF MRS. MARY ROWLANDSON 

Who was Taken Captive by the Wamponoags Under 
King Philip, in 1676. 

Written by Herself. 

Mary Rowlandson was the wife of the Reverend 
Joseph Rowlandson, the first minister of Lancaster, 
Massachusetts. On the tenth of February, 1676, dur- 
ing King Philip's War, the Indians destroyed Lancas- 
ter, and took her captive. She was treated with 
gross cruelty, and was sold by her Narragansett cap- 
tor to a sagamore named Quannopin. After nearly 
three months of starving and wretchedness she was 
ransomed for about eighty dollars which was contrib- 
uted by some women of Boston. 

Her own account of her captivity, originally pub- 
lished in 1682, is here given with the omission of noth- 
ing but certain reflections that are not essential to the 
narrative. (Editor.) 



O 



N the 10th of February, 1676, 
came the Indians with great num- 
bers * upon Lancaster. Their 

* Fifteen hundred Wamponoags, led by King Philip, and 
accompanied by the Narragansetts, his allies, and by the 
Nipmucks and Nashaways. 

143 



144 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

first coming was about sun-rising. Hearing 
the noise of some guns, we looked out ; sev- 
eral houses were burning, and the smoke as- 
cending to heaven. 

There were five persons taken in one 
house. The father and mother, and a suck- 
ing child, they knocked on the head; the 
other two they took and carried away alive. 
There were two others, who, being out of 
their garrison upon occasion, were set upon ; 
one was knocked on the head, the other es- 
caped. Another there was, who, running 
along, was shot and wounded, and fell down ; 
he begged of them his life, promising them 
money, as they told me, but they would not 
hearken to him, but knocked him on the head, 
stripped him naked, and split open his 
bowels. Another, seeing many of the In- 
dians about his barn, ventured and went out, 
but was quickly shot down. There were 
three others belonging to the same garrison 
who were killed. The Indians getting up 
on the roof of the barn, had advantage to 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 145 

shoot down upon them over their fortifica- 
tion. Thus these murderous wretches went 
on burning and destroying all before them. 

At length they came and beset our house, 
and quickly it was the dolefulest day that 
ever mine eyes saw. The house stood upon 
the edge of a hill; some of the Indians got 
behind the hill, others into the barn, and 
others behind anything that would shelter 
them ; from all which places they shot against 
the house, so that the bullets seemed to fly 
like hail, and quickly they wounded one man 
among us, then another, and then a third. 

About two hours, according to my ob- 
servation in that amazing time, they had been 
about the house before they prevailed to fire 
it, which they did with flax and hemp which 
they brought out of the barn, and there be- 
ing no defence about the house, only two 
flankers at two opposite corners, and one of 
them not finished; they fired it once, and 
one ventured out and quenched it, but they 
quickly fired it again, and that took. 



146 CAPTIVES A^IONG THE INDIANS 

Now is the dreadful hour come that I have 
often heard of in time of the war, as it was 
the case of others, but now mine eyes see it. 
Some in our house were fighting for their 
lives, others wallowing in blood, the house on 
fire over our heads, and the bloody heathen 
ready to knock us on the head if we stirred 
out. Now might we hear mothers and chil- 
dren crying out for themselves and one an- 
other, "Lord, what shall we do?" Then I 
took my children, and one of my sisters 
(Mrs. Drew) , hers to go forth and leave the 
house, but as soon as we came to the door 
and appeared, the Indians shot so thick that 
the bullets rattled against the house as if one 
had taken a handful of stones and threw 
them, so that we were forced to give back. 
We had six stout dogs belonging to our gar- 
rison, but none of them would stir, though 
at another time if an Indian had come to the 
door, they were ready to fly upon him and 
tear him down. The Lord hereby would 
make us the more to acknowledge his hand, 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 147 

and to see that our help is always in him. 
But out we must go, the fire increasing, and 
coming along behind us roaring, and the In- 
dians gaping before us with their guns, 
spears and hatchets, to devour us. 

No sooner were we out of the house, but 
my brother-in-law * (being before wounded 
in defending the house, in or near the throat) 
fell down dead, whereat the Indians scorn- 
fully shouted and hallooed, and were pres- 
ently upon him, stripping off his clothes. 
The bullets flying thick, one went through 
my side, and the same, as would seem, 
through the bowels and hand of my poor 
child in my arms. One of my elder sister's 
children, named William, had then his leg 
broke, which the Indians perceiving, they 
knocked him on the head. Thus were we 
butchered by those merciless heathens, stand- 
ing amazed, with the blood running down 
to our heels. 

My eldest sister being yet in the house, 

* Thomas Rowlandson, brother to the clergyman. 



148 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

and seeing those woful sights, the infidels 
hauHng mothers one way and children an- 
other, and some wallowing in their blood; 
and her eldest son telling her that her son 
William was dead, and myself was wounded, 
she said, "Lord, let me die with them:" 
which was no sooner said but she was struck 
with a bullet, and fell down dead over the 
threshold. The Indians laid hold of us, 
pulling me one way and the children another, 
and said, "Come, go along with us." I told 
them they would kill me; they answered, if 
I were willing to go along with them they 
would not hurt me. . . . 

There were twelve killed, some shot, some 
stabbed with their spears, some laiocked 
down with their hatchets. When we are in 
prosperity, oh, the little that we think of such 
dreadful sights, to see our dear friends and 
relations lie bleeding out their heart's-blood 
upon the ground. There was one who was 
chopped in the head with a hatchet, and 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 149 

stripped naked, and yet was crawling up and 
down. 

I had often before this said, that if the 
Indians should come, I should choose rather 
to be killed by them than taken alive, but 
when it came to the trial my mind changed ; 
their glittering weapons so daunted my spirit 
that I chose rather to go along with those ( as 
I may say) ravenous bears, than that mo- 
ment to end my days. And that I may the 
better declare what happened to me during 
that grievous captivity, I shall particularly 
speak of the several removes we had up and 
down the wilderness. 

The First Remove. — 'Now away we must 
go with those barbarous creatures, with our 
bodies wounded and bleeding, and our hearts 
no less than our bodies. About a mile we 
went that night, up on a hill within sight 
of the town where we intended to lodge. 
There was hard by a vacant house, deserted 
by the English before, for fear of the In- 



150 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

dians. I asked them whether I might not 
lodge in the house that night ; to whi^h they 
answered, "What, will you love Englislimen 
still?" This was the dolefulest night that 
ever my eyes saw. Oh, the roaring and sing- 
ing and dancing and yelling of those black 
creatures in the night, which made the place 
a lively resemblance of hell ! And miserable 
was the waste that was there made of 
horses, cattle, sheep, swine, calves, lambs, 
roasting pigs, and fowls (which they had 
plundered in the town) , some roasting, some 
lying and burning, and some boiling, to feed 
our merciless enemies; who were joyful 
enough, though we were disconsolate. 

To add to the dolefulness of the former 
day, and the dismalness of the present night, 
my thoughts ran upon my losses and sad, be- 
reaved condition. All was gone, my hus- 
band gone (at least separated from me, he 
being in the Bay ; * and, to add to my grief, 
the Indians told me they would kill him as 

* Boston. 



MRS. R0\^T:.ANDS0N'S narrative 151 

he came homeward) ; my children gone, my 
relations and friends gone,* our house and 
home, and all our comforts within door and 
without — all was gone except my life, and 
I knew not but the next moment that might 
go too. 

There remained nothing to me but one 
poor, wounded babe; and it seemed at pres- 
ent worse than death, that it was in such a 
pitiful condition, bespeaking compassion, 
and I had no refreshing for it, nor suitable 
things to revive it. Little do many think 
what is the savageness and brutishness of this 
barbarous enemy, those even that seem to 
profess more than others among them, when 
the English have fallen into their hands. 

The Second Remove. — But now (the 
next morning) I must turn my back upon 
the town, and travel with them into the vast 
and desolate wilderness, I know not whither. 
It is not my tongue or pen can express the 
sorrows of my heart, and bitterness of my 

* Seventeen of her family were put to death or captured. 



152 CAPTIVES AIVIONG THE INDIANS 

spirit, that I had at this departure ; but God 
was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying 
me along and bearing up my spirit, that it 
did not quite fail. One of the Indians car- 
ried my poor wounded babe upon a horse. 
It went moaning all along, "I shall die, I 
shall die!" I went on foot after it with sor- 
row that cannot be expressed. At length I 
took it off the horse, and carried it in my 
arms, till my strength failed and I fell down 
with it. Then they set me upon a horse with 
my wounded child in my lap, and there being 
no furniture on the horse's back, as we were 
going down a steep hill we both fell over the 
horse's head, at which they, like inhuman 
creatures, laughed, and rejoiced to see it, 
though I thought we should there have ended 
our days, overcome with so many difficul- 
ties. . . . 

After this it quickly began to snow, and 
when night came on they stopped. And 
now down I must sit in the snow, by a little 
fire, and a few boughs behind me, with my 



IVIRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 153 

sick child in my lap, and calling much for 
water, being now, through the wound, fallen 
into a violent fever; my own wound also 
growing so stiff that I could scarce sit down 
or rise up. 

The Third Remove. — The morning 
being come, they prepared to go on their 
way. One of the Indians got upon a horse, 
and they sat me up behind him, with my 
poor sick babe in my lap. A very weari- 
some and tedious day I had of it ; what with 
my own wound, and my child being so ex- 
ceeding sick, and in a lamentable condition 
with her wound, it may easily be judged 
what a poor, feeble condition we were in, 
there being not the least crumb of refreshing 
that came within either of our mouths from 
Wednesday night to Saturday night, except 
only a little cold water. This day in the 
afternoon, about an hour by sun, we came 
to the place where they intended, viz., an In- 
dian town called Wenimesset (New Brain- 
tree), northward of Quabaug (Brookfield). 



154s CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

This day there came to me one Robert 
Pepper, a man belonging to Roxbmy, who 
was taken at Captain Beers's fight, and had 
been now a considerable time with the In- 
dians, and up with them almost as far as 
Albany, to see King Philip, as he told me, 
and was now very lately come into these 
parts. Hearing, I say, that I was in this 
Indian town, he obtained leave to come and 
see me. He told me he himself was 
womided in the leg at Captain Beers's fight, 
and was not able some time to go, but as 
they carried him, and that he took oak leaves 
and laid to his wound, and by the blessing of 
God he was able to travel again. Then took 
I oak leaves and laid to my side, and with 
the blessing of God it cured me also. 

I sat much alone with my poor wounded 
child in my lap, which moaned night and 
day, having nothing to revive the body or 
cheer the spirits of her; but instead of that, 
one Indian would come and tell me one hour, 
"Your master will knock your child on the 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 155 

head," and then a second, and then a third, 
"Your master will quickly knock your child 
on the head." 

This was the comfort I had from them; 
miserable comforters were they all. Thus 
nine days I sat upon my knees, with my babe 
in my lap, till my flesh was raw again. JNIy 
child being even ready to depart this sor- 
rowful world, they bid me carry it out to 
another wigwam, I suppose because they 
would not be troubled with such spectacles ; 
whither I went with a very hea\y heart, and 
down I sat with the picture of death in my 
lap. About two hours in the night, my 
sweet babe, like a lamb, departed this life, on 
Feb. 18, 1676, it being about six years and 
five months old. 

In the morning when they understood that 
my child was dead, they sent me home to my 
master's wigwam. By my master in this 
writing must be understood Quannopin, who 
was a sagamore, and married King Philip's 
wife's sister; not that he first took me, but 



156 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

I was sold to him by a Narragansett Indian, 
who took me when I first came out of the 
garrison. 

I went to take up my dead child in my 
arms to carry it with me, but they bid me 
let it alone. There was no resisting, but go 
I must, and leave it. When I had been a 
while at my master's wigwam, I took the 
first opportunity I could get to look after my 
dead child. When I came I asked them 
what they had done with it. They told me it 
was on the hill. Then they went and showed 
me where it was, where I saw the ground 
was newly digged, and where they told me 
they had buried it. There I left that child 
in the wilderness, and must commit it and 
myself also in this wilderness condition to 
Him who is above all. 

God having taken away this dear child, I 
went to see my daughter Mary, who was at 
the same Indian town, at a wigwam not very 
far off, though we had little liberty or oppor- 
tunity to see one another. She was about 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 157 

ten years old, and taken from the door at 
first by a praying Indian,* and afterwards 
sold for a gun. When I came in sight she 
would fall a-weeping, at which they were 
provoked, and would not let me come near 
her, but bid me begone, which was a heart- 
cutting word to me. I could not sit still in 
this condition, but kept walking from one 
place to another ; and as I was going along, 
my heart was even overwhelmed with the 
thoughts of my condition, and that I should 
have children, and a nation that I knew not 
ruled over them. Whereupon I earnestly 
entreated the Lord that he would consider 
my low estate, and show me a token for good, 
and if it were his blessed will, some sign and 
hope of some relief. 

And, indeed, quickly the Lord answered in 
some measure my poor prayer ; for as I was 
going up and down mourning and lamenting 
my condition, my son (Joseph) came to me 
and asked me how I did. I had not seen him 

* Convert to Christianity. 



158 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

before since the destruction of the town ; and 
I knew not where he was, till I was informed 
by himself that he was among a smaller 
parcel of Indians, whose place was about six 
miles off. With tears in his eyes he asked 
me whether his sister Sarah was dead, and 
told me he had seen his sister Mary, and 
prayed me that I would not be troubled in 
reference to himself. The occasion of his 
coming to see me at this time was this : there 
was, as I said, about six miles from us, a 
small plantation of Indians, where it seems 
he had been during his captivity ; and at this 
time there were some forces of the Indians 
gathered out of our company, and some also 
from them, among whom was my son's 
master, to go to assault and burn Medfield. 
In this time of his master's absence his dame 
brought him to see me. 

Now the Indians began to talk of remov- 
ing from this place, some one way and some 
another. There were now, besides myself, 
nine English captives in this place, all of 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 159 

them children except one woman. I got an 
opportmiity to go and take my leave of them, 
they being to go one way and I another. I 
asked them whether they were earnest with 
God for deliverance. They told me they did 
as they were able, and it was some comfort 
to me that the Lord stirred up children to 
look to Him. The woman, viz., good-wife 
Joslin, told me she should never see me 
again, and that she could not find it in her 
heart to run away by any means, for we were 
near thirty miles from any English town, 
and she with a child two years old ; and bad 
rivers there were to go over, and we were 
feeble with our poor and coarse entertain- 
ment. . . . 

The Fourth Remo^t:. — And now must 
I part with the little company I had. Here 
I parted with my daughter Mary, whom I 
never saw again till I saw her in Dorchester, 
returned from captivity ; and from four little 
cousins and neighbors, some of which I never 
saw afterwards ; the Lord onlv knows the end 



160 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

of them. We travelled about a half a day 
or a little more, and came to a desolate place 
in the wilderness, where there were no wig- 
wams or inhabitants before. We came 
about the middle of the afternoon to this 
place, cold, wet, and snowy, and hungry and 
weary, and no refreshing for man, but the 
cold ground to sit on, and our poor Indian 
cheer. 

The Fifth Remoat:. — The occasion, as I 
thought, of their removing at this time was 
the English army's being near and following 
them ; for they went as if they had gone for 
their lives for some considerable way. Then 
they made a stop, and chose out some of their 
stoutest men, and sent them back to hold the 
English army in play while the rest escaped ; 
and then, like Jehu, they marched on furi- 
ously with their old and j^oung. Some car- 
ried their old, decrepit mothers ; some carried 
one, and some another. Four of them car- 
ried a great Indian upon a bier; but, going 
through a thick wood with him, they were 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 161 

hindered, and could make no haste; where- 
upon they took him upon their backs, and 
carried him, one at a time, till we came to 
Baquaug River. 

Upon Friday, a little after noon, we came 
to this river. When all the company was 
come up and were gathered together I 
thought to count the number of them, but 
they were so many, and being somewhat in 
motion, it was beyond my skill. In this 
travel, because of my wound, I was some- 
what favored in my load. I carried only my 
knitting-work and two quarts of parched 
meal. Being very faint, I asked my mistress 
to give me one spoonful of the meal, but she 
would not give me a taste. They quickly 
fell to cutting dry trees to make rafts to 
carry them over the river, and soon my turn 
came to go over. By the advantage of some 
brush which they had laid upon the raft to 
sit on, I did not wet my foot, while many of 
themselves, at the other end, were mid-leg 
deep, which cannot but be acknowledged as a 



162 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

favor of God to my weakened body, it being 
a very cold time. I was not before ac- 
quainted with such kind of doings or dangers. 
A certain number of us got over the river 
that night, but it was the night after the 
Sabbath before all the company was got over. 
On the Saturday they boiled an old horse's 
leg which they had got, and so we drank of 
the broth as soon as they thought it was 
ready, and when it was almost all gone they 
filled it up again. 

The first week of my being among them I 
hardly eat anything ; the second week I found 
my stomach grow very faint for want of 
something, and yet it was very hard to get 
down their filthy trash; but the third week, 
though I could think how formerly my 
stomach would turn against this or that, and 
I could starve and die before I could eat 
such things, yet they were pleasant and sa- 
vory to my taste. 

I was at this time knitting a pair of cotton 
stockings for my mistress, and I had not yet 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 163 

wrought upon the Sabbath day. When the 
Sabbath came they bid me go to work. I 
told them it was Sabbath day, and desired 
them to let me rest, and told them I would 
do as much more work to-morrow; to which 
they answered me they would break my 
face. 

And here I cannot but take notice of the 
strange providence of God in preserving the 
heathen. They were many hundreds, old 
and young, some sick, and some lame ; many 
had papooses at their backs; the greatest 
number at this time vAth us were squaws, 
and yet they travelled with all they had, bag 
and baggage, and they got over this river 
aforesaid ; and on Monday they set their wig- 
wams on fire, and away they went. On that 
very day came the English army after them 
to this river, and saw the smoke of their wig- 
wams, and yet this river put a stop to them. 
God did not give them courage or activity to 
go over after us. We were not ready for so 
great a mercy as victory and deliverance ; if 



164 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

we had been, God would have found out a 
way for the EngHsh to have passed this river 
as well as for the Indians, with their squaws 
and children and all their luggage. 

The Sixth Remo\te. — On Monday, as I 
said, they set their wigwams on fire and 
went away. It was a cold morning, and be- 
fore us there was a great brook with ice on 
it. Some waded through it up to the knees 
and higher, but others went till they came to 
a beaver-dam, and I among them, where, 
through the good providence of God, I did 
not wet my foot. I went along that day 
mourning and lamenting, leaving farther my 
own country, and travelling farther into the 
vast and howling wilderness, and I under- 
stood something of Lot's wife's temptation 
when she looked back. We came that day 
to a great swamp, by the side of which we 
took up our lodging that night. When we 
came to the brow of the hill that looked to- 
wards the swamp I thought we had been 
come to a great Indian town, though there 



I 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 165 

were none but our own company ; the Indians 
were as thick as the trees; it seemed as if 
there had been a thousand hatchets going at 
once. 

The Seventh Remove. — After a rest- 
less and hungry night there we had a weari- 
some time of it the next day. The swamp 
by which we lay was, as it were, a deep dun- 
geon, and an exceeding high and steep hill 
before it. Before I got to the top of the 
hill I thought my heart and legs and all 
would have broken and failed me. What 
with faintness and soreness of body, it was 
a grievous day of travel to me. As we went 
along, I saw a place where English cattle 
had been. That was a comfort to me, such 
as it was. Quickly after that we came to an 
English path, which so took me that I 
thought I could there have freely lain down 
and died. 

That day, a little after noon, we came to 
Squaheag,* where the Indians quickly 

* Or Squakeag, now Northfield. 



166 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

spread themselves over the deserted English 
fields, gleaning what they could find. Some 
picked up ears of wheat that were crickled 
down, some found ears of Indian corn, some 
found ground-nuts,* and others sheaves of 
wheat that were frozen together in the shock, 
and went to threshing of them out. Myself 
got two ears of Indian corn, and, whilst I 
did but turn my back, one of them was stole 
from me, which much troubled me. 

There came an Indian to them at that time 
with a basket of horse-liver. I asked him to 
give me a piece. "What," says he, "can you 
eat horse-liver?" I told him I would try, 
if he would give me a piece, which he did; 
and I laid it on the coals to roast; but, be- 
fore it was half ready, they got half of it 
away from me ; so that I was forced to take 
the rest and eat it as it was, with the blood 
about my mouth, and yet a savory bit it was 

* Apios tuberosa. The Pilgrims, during their first win- 
ter, lived chiefly on these roots. The tubers vary from the 
size of a cherry to that of a hen's egg, and grow in strings 
of perhaps forty together. 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 167 

to me; for to the hungry soul every bitter 
thing was sweet. A solemn sight me- 
thought it was to see whole fields of wheat 
and Indian corn forsaken and spoiled, and 
the remainder of them to be food for our 
merciless enemies. That night we had a 
mess of wheat for our supper. 

The Eighth Remove. — On the morrow 
morning we must go over Connecticut River 
to meet with King Philip. Two canoes full 
they had carried over. The next turn myself 
was to go ; but, as my foot was upon the canoe 
to step in, there was a sudden outcry among 
them, and I must step back; and instead of 
going over the river, I must go four or five 
miles up the river farther northward. Some 
of the Indians ran one way, and some an- 
other. The cause of this route was, as I 
thought, their espying some English scouts, 
who were thereabouts. In this travel up the 
river, about noon the company made a stop 
and sat down, some to eat and others to rest 
them. As I sat amongst them, musing on 



168 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

things past, my son Joseph unexpectedly 
came to me. . . . 

We travelled on till night, and in the 
morning we must go over the river to Philip's 
crew. When I was in the canoe I could not 
but be amazred at the numerous crew of pa- 
gans that were on the bank on the other 
side. When I came ashore they gathered 
all about me, I sitting alone in the midst. I 
observed they asked one another questions, 
and laughed, and rejoiced over their gains 
and victories. 

Then my heart began to fail, and I fell 
a- weeping; which was the first time, to my 
remembrance, that I wept before them. 
There one of them asked me why I wept. 
I could hardly tell what to say; yet I an- 
swered, they would kill me. "No," said he, 
"none will hurt you." Then came one of 
them and gave me two spoonfuls of meal to 
comfort me, and another gave me half a 
pint of peas, which was worth more than 
many bushels at another time. 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 169 

Then I went to see King Philip. He 
bade me come in and sit down, and asked me 
whether I would smoke — a usual compli- 
ment nowadays among the saints and sin- 
ners ; but this noway suited me ; for though I 
had formerly used tobacco, yet I had left it 
ever since I was first taken. It seems to be 
a bait the devil lays to make men lose their 
precious time. I remember with shame how, 
formerly, when I had taken two or three 
pipes, I was presently ready for another, 
such a bewitching thing it is; but I thank 
God He has now given me power over it. 
Surely there are many who may be better 
employed than to sit sucking a stinking to- 
bacco pipe. 

Now the Indians gathered their forces to 
go against Northampton. Over night one 
went about yelling and hooting to give notice 
of the design. Whereupon they went to 
boiling of ground-nuts and parching corn — 
as many as had it — for their provision; and 
in the morning away they went. During my 



170 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

abode in this place Philip spake to me to 
make a shirt for his boy, which I did; for 
which he gave me a shilling. I offered the 
money to my mistress, but she bid me keep it, 
and with it I bought a piece of horse-flesh. 

Afterwards he asked me to make a cap for 
his boy, for which he invited me to dinner. 
I went, and he gave me a pancake about as 
big as two fingers; it was made of parched 
wheat, beaten and fried in bear's grease, but 
I thought I never tasted pleasanter meat in 
my life. There was a squaw who spake to 
me to make a shirt for her sannup ; for which 
she gave me a piece of beef. Another asked 
me to knit a pair of stockings, for which she 
gave me a quart of peas. I boiled my peas 
and beef together, and invited my master and 
mistress to dinner ; but the proud gossip, be- 
cause I served them both in one dish, would 
eat nothing, except one bit that he gave her 
upon the point of his Imife. 

Hearing that my son was come to this 
place, I went to see him, and found hun lying 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 171 

flat on the ground. I asked him how he 
could sleep so. He answered me that he 
was not asleep, but at prayer, and that he 
lay so that they might not observe what he 
was doing. I pray God he may remember 
these things now he is returned in safety. 

At this place, the sun now getting higher, 
what with the beams and heat of the sun and 
smoke of the wigwams, I thought I should 
have been blinded. I could scarce discern 
one wigwam from another. There w^as one 
JMary Thurston, of JMedfield, who, seeing 
how it was with me, lent me a hat to wear; 
but as soon as I was gone the squaw that 
owned that Mary Thurston came running 
after me and got it away again. Here was a 
squaw who gave me a spoonful of meal; I 
put it in my pocket to keep it safe, yet not- 
withstanding somebody stole it, but put five 
Indian corns in the room of it; which corns 
were the greatest provision I had in my 
travel for one day. 

The Indians, returning from Northamp- 



172 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

ton,* brought with them some horses and 
sheep and other things which they had taken. 
I desired them that they would carry me to 
Albany upon one of those horses, and sell me 
for powder; for so they had sometimes dis- 
coursed. I was utterly helpless of getting 
home on foot, the way that I came. I could 
hardly bear to think of the many weary steps 
I had taken to this place. 

The INTiNTH Remove. — But, instead of 
either going to Albany or homeward, we must 
go five miles up the river, and then go over it. 
Here we abode awhile. Here lived a sorry 
Indian, who spake to me to make him a shirt. 
When I had done it he would pay me nothing 
for it. But he, living by the river-side, 
where I often went to fetch water, I would 
often be putting him in mind, and calling 
for my pay; at last he told me if I would 
make another shirt for a papoose not yet 
born he would give me a knife, which he did 
when I had done it. I carried the knife in, 

* Northampton was attacked March 14, 1676. 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 173 

and my master asked me to give it him, and 
I was not a little glad that I had anything 
that they would accept of and be pleased 
with. 

My son being now about a mile from me, 
I asked liberty to go and see him. They bid 
me go, and away I went; but quickly lost 
myself, travelling over hills and through 
swamps, and could not find the way to him. 
And I cannot but admire at the wonderful 
power and goodness of God to me, in that 
though I was gone from home and met with 
all sorts of Indians, and those I had no 
knowledge of, and there being no Christian 
soul near me, yet not one of them offered the 
least imaginable miscarriage to me. I 
turned homeward again, and met with my 
master, and he showed me the way to my 
son. When I came to him I found him not 
well; and withal he had a boil on his side, 
which much troubled him. We bemoaned 
one another awhile, as the Lord helped us, 
and then I returned again. When I was 



174 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

returned I found myself as unsatisfied as I 
was before. 

But I was fain to go look after something 
to satisfy my hunger ; and, going among the 
wigwams, I went into one, and there found a 
squaw who showed herself very kind to me, 
and gave me a piece of bear. I put it into 
my pocket, and came home, but could not 
find an opportunity to broil it for fear they 
should get it from me. And there it lay all 
the day and night in my pocket. In the 
morning I went again to the same squaw, 
who had a kettle of ground-nuts boiling. I 
asked her to let me boil my piece of bear in 
the kettle, which she did, and gave me some 
ground-nuts to eat with it ; and I cannot but 
think how pleasant it was to me. I have 
sometimes seen bear baked handsomely 
amongst the English, and some liked it, but 
the thoughts that it was bear made me trem- 
ble. But now that was savory to me that 
one would think was enough to turn the 
stomach of a brute creature. 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 175 

One bitter cold day I could find no room 
to sit down before the fire. I went out, and 
could not tell what to do, but I went into 
another wigwam, where they were also sit- 
ting round the fire ; but the squaw laid a skin 
for me, and bid me sit down, and gave me 
some ground-nuts, and bid me come again, 
and told me they would buy me if they were 
able. And yet these were strangers to me 
that I never knew before. 

The Tenth Remo^te. — That day a small 
part of the company removed about three 
quarters of a mile, intending farther the next 
day. When they came to the place they 
intended to lodge, and had pitched their wig- 
wams, being hungrj^, I went again back to 
the place we were before at to get some- 
thing to eat; being encouraged by the 
squaw's kindness, who bid me come again. 
When I was there, there came an Indian to 
look after me ; who, when he had found me, 
kicked me all along. I went home and 
found venison roasting that night, but they 



176 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

would not give me one bit of it. Sometimes 
I met with favor, and sometimes with noth- 
ing but frowns. 

The Eleventh Remove. — The next day, 
in the morning, they took their travel, in- 
tending a day's journey up the river; I took 
my load at my back, and quickly we came to 
wade over a river, and passed over tiresome 
and wearisome hills. One hill was so steep 
that I was fain to creep up upon my knees, 
and to hold by the twigs and bushes to keep 
myself from falling backwards. My head, 
also, was so light that I usually reeled as I 
went. 

The Twelfth Remoit:. — It was upon a 
Sabbath-da}^ morning that they prepared for 
their travel. This morning I asked my 
master whether he would sell me to my hus- 
band ; he answered, nux; which did much re- 
joice my spirits. My mistress, before we 
went, was gone to the burial of a papoose, 
and returning she found me sitting and read- 
ing in my Bible. She snatched it hastily out 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 177 

of my hand and threw it out of doors. I 
ran out and caught it up, and put it in my 
pocket, and never let her see it afterwards. 
Then they packed up their things to be gone, 
and gave me my load; I complained it was 
too heavy, whereupon she gave me a slap 
on the face and bid me be gone. I lifted up 
my heart to God, hoping that redemption 
was not far off ; and the rather because their 
insolence grew worse and worse. 

But thoughts of my going homeward, for 
so we bent our course, much cheered my 
spirit, and made my burden seem light, and 
almost nothing at all. But, to my amaze- 
ment and great perplexity, the scale was 
soon turned; for when we had got a little 
way, on a sudden my mistress gave out she 
would go no farther, but turn back again, 
and said I must go back again with her ; and 
she called her sannup, and would have had 
him go back also, but he would not, but said 
he would go on, and come to us again in three 
days. My spirit was upon this, I confess, 



178 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

very impatient, and almost outrageous. I 
thought I could as well have died as went 
back. Down I sat, with my heart as full as 
it could hold, and yet so hungry that I could 
not sit neither. But going out to see what 
I could find, and walking among the trees, 
I found six acorns and two chestnuts, which 
were some refresliment to me. 

Towards night I gathered me some sticks 
for my own comfort, that I might not lie 
cold; but when we came to lie down, they 
bid me go out and lie somewhere else, for 
they had company they said come in more 
than their own. I told them I could not tell 
where to go ; they bid me go look ; I told them 
if I went to another wigwam they would be 
angry and send me home again. Then one 
of the company drew his sword and told me 
he would run me through if I did not go 
presently. Then was I fain to stoop to this 
rude fellow, and go out in the night I knew 
not whither. Mine eyes hath seen that fel- 
low afterwards walking up and down in 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 179 

Boston, under the appearance of a friendly 
Indian, and several others of the like 
cut. 

I went to one wigwam, and they told me 
they had no room. Then I went to another, 
and they said the same. At last, an old 
Indian bid me come to him, and his squaw 
gave me some ground-nuts ; she gave me also 
something to lay under my head, and a good 
fire we had. Through the good providence 
of God, I had a comfortable lodging that 
night. In the morning, another Indian bid 
me come at night and he would give me six 
ground-nuts, which I did. We were at this 
place and time about two miles from Con- 
necticut River. 

The Thirteenth Remove. — Instead of 
going towards the Bay, which was what I 
desired, I must go with them five or six miles 
down the river, into a mighty thicket of 
brush, where we abode almost a fortnight. 
Here one asked me to make a shirt for her 
papoose, for which she gave me a mess of 



180 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

broth which was thickened with meal made 
of the bark of a tree; and to make it better 
she had. put into it about a handful of peas 
and a few roasted ground-nuts. 

I had not seen my son a pretty while, and 
here was an Indian of whom I made inquiry 
after him, and asked him when he saw him. 
He answered me, that such a time his master 
roasted him, and that himself did eat a piece 
of him as big as his two fingers, and that he 
was very good meat. But the Lord upheld 
my spirit under this discouragement; and I 
considered their horrible addictedness to 
lying, and that there is not one of them that 
makes the least conscience of speaking the 
truth. 

In this place, one cold night, as I lay by 
the fire, I removed a stick which kept the 
heat from me ; a squaw moved it down again, 
at which I looked up, and she threw a hand- 
ful of ashes in my eyes. I thought I should 
have been quite blinded and never have seen 
more ; but, lying down, the water ran out of 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 181 

my eyes, and carried the dirt with it, that by 
the morning I recovered my sight again. 

About this time they came yelping from 
Hadley, having there killed three English- 
men, and brought one captive with them, 
viz., Thomas Reed. They all gathered 
about the poor man, asking him many ques- 
tions. I desired also to go and see him ; and 
when I came, he was crying bitterl}^ sup- 
posing they would quickly kill him. Where- 
upon I asked one of them whether they in- 
tended to kill him; he answered me they 
would not. He being a little cheered with 
that, I asked him about the welfare of my 
husband ; he told me he saw him such a time 
in the Bay, and he was well, but very' melan- 
choly. By which I certainly understood, 
though I suspected it before, that whatsoever 
the Indians told me respecting him was 
vanity and lies. Some of them told me he 
was dead, and they had killed him ; some said 
he was married again, and that the governor 
wished him to marry, and told him that he 



18a CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

should have his choice; and that all per- 
suaded him that I was dead. So like were 
these barbarous creatures to him who was a 
liar from the beginning. 

As I was sitting once in the wigwam here, 
Philip's maid came with the child in her 
arms, and asked me to give her a piece of my 
apron to make a flap for it. I told her I 
would not; then my mistress bid me give it, 
but I still said no. The maid told me if I 
would not give her a piece, she would tear a 
piece off it. I told her I would tear her coat 
then. With that my mistress rises up, and 
takes up a stick big enough to have killed 
me, and struck at me with it, but I stepped 
out, and she struck the stick into the mat of 
the wigwam. But while she was pulling it 
out, I ran to the maid, and gave her all my 
apron, and so that storm went over. 

Hearing that my son was come to this 
place, I went to see him, and told him his 
father was well, but very melancholy. He 
told me he was as much grieved for his father 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 183 

as for himself. I wondered at his speech, 
for I thought I had enough upon my spirit, 
in reference to myself, to make me mindless 
of my husband and every one else, they being 
safe among their friends. He told me also, 
that a while before, his master, together with 
other Indians, were going to the French for 
powder; but by the way the Mohawks met 
with them, and killed four of their company, 
which made the rest turn back again. For 
which I desire that myself and he may ever 
bless the Lord ; for it might have been worse 
with him had he been sold to the French, 
than it proved to be in his remaining with the 
Indians. 

I asked his master to let him stay awhile 
with me, that I might comb his head and 
look over him, for he was almost overcome 
with lice. He told me when I had done that 
he was very hungry, but I had nothing to 
relieve him, but bid him go into the wig- 
wams as he went along, and see if he could 
get anything among them ; which he did, and. 



184 CAPTIVES A^IONG THE INDIANS 

it seems, tarried a little too long, for his 
master was angry with him, and beat him, 
and then sold him. Then he came running 
to tell me he had a new master, and that he 
had given him some gromid-nuts already. 
Then I went along with him to his new 
master, who told me he loved him, and he 
should not want. So his master carried him 
away, and I never saw him afterwards till 
I saw him at Piscataqua, in Portsmouth. 

That night they bid me go out of the wig- 
wam again ; my mistress's papoose was sick, 
and it died that night; and there was one 
benefit in it, that there was more room. I 
went to a wigwam and they bid me come in, 
and gave me a skin to lie upon, and a mess 
of venison and ground-nuts, which was a 
choice dish among them. On the morrow 
they buried the papoose; and afterwards, 
both morning and evening, there came a 
company to mourn and howl with her; 
though I confess I could not much condole 
with them. 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 185 

The Fourteenth Remove. — Now must 
we pack up and be gone from this thicket, 
bending our course towards the Bay towns; 
I having nothing to eat by the way this day 
but a few crumbs of cake that an Indian 
gave my girl the same day we were taken. 
She gave it me, and I put it in my pocket. 
There it lay till it was so mouldy, for want of 
good baking, that one could not tell what it 
was made of. It fell all into crumbs, and 
grew so dry and hard that it was like little 
flints; and this refreshed me many times 
when I was ready to faint. It was in my 
thoughts when I put it to my mouth that, 
if ever I returned, I would tell the world 
what a blessing the Lord gave to such mean 
food. 

As we went along, they killed a deer, with 
a young one in her. They gave me a piece 
of the fawn, and it was so young and tender 
that one might eat the bones as well as the 
flesh, and yet I thought it very good. When 
night came on we sat down. It rained, but 



186 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

they quickly got up a bark wigwam, where 
I lay dry that night. I looked out in the 
morning, and many of them had lain in the 
rain all night, I knew by their reeking. 
Thus the Lord dealt mercifully with me 
many times, and I fared better than many of 
them. 

In the morning they took the blood of the 
deer, and put it into the paunch, and so 
boiled it. I could eat nothing of that, though 
they eat it sweetly. And yet they were so 
nice in other things, that when I had fetched 
water, and had put the dish I dipped the 
water with into the kettle of water which I 
brought, they would say they would knock 
me down, for they said it was a sluttish trick. 

The Fifteenth Remove. — We went on 
our travel. I having got a handful of 
ground-nuts for my support that day, they 
gave me my load, and I went on cheerfully, 
with the thoughts of going homeward, hav- 
ing my burthen more upon my back than my 
spirit. We came to Baquaug River again 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 187 

that day, near which we abode a few days. 
Sometimes one of them would give me a 
pipe, another a httle tobacco, another a httle 
salt, which I would change for victuals. I 
cannot but think what a wolfish appetite per- 
sons have in a starving condition ; for many 
times, when they gave me that which was 
hot, I was so greedy, that I should burn my 
mouth, that it would trouble me many hours 
after, and yet I should quickly do the like 
again. And after I was thoroughly hungry, 
I was never again satisfied; for though it 
sometimes fell out that I had got enough, 
and did eat till I could eat no more, yet I 
was as unsatisfied as I was when I began. 

The Sixteenth Remove. — We began 
this remove with wading over Baquaug 
River. The water was up to our knees, and 
the stream very swift, and so cold that I 
thought it would have cut me in sunder. I 
was so weak and feeble that I reeled as I 
went along, and thought there I must end 
my days at last, after my bearing and get- 



188 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

ting through so many difficulties. The In- 
dians stood laughing to see me staggering 
along, but in my distress the Lord gave me 
experience of the truth and goodness of that 
promise, Isa. xliii., 2 — "When thou passeth 
through the waters I will be with thee, and 
through the rivers, they shall not overflow 
thee." Then I sat down to put on my 
stockings and shoes, with the tears running 
down my eyes, and many sorrowful thoughts 
in my heart. But I got up to go along with 
them. 

Quickly there came up to us an Indian 
who informed them that I must go to Wa- 
chusett * to my master, for there was a letter 
come from the council to the sagamores 
about redeeming the captives, and that there 
would be another in fourteen days, and that 
I must be there ready. My heart was so 
heavy before that I could scarce speak or go 
in the path, and yet now so light that I could 

* Princeton. The mountain in this town still retains 
the name of Wachusett. 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 189 

run. My strength seemed to come again, 
and to recruit my feeble knees and aching 
heart ; yet it pleased them to go but one mile 
that night, and there we staid two days. 

In that time came a company of Indians 
to us, near thirty, all on horseback. IVIy 
heart skipped within me, thinking they had 
been Englishmen, at the first sight of them ; 
for they were dressed in English apparel, 
with hats, white neckcloths, and sashes about 
their waists, and ribbons upon their shoul- 
ders. But when they came near there was 
a vast difference between the lovely faces of 
Christians and the foul looks of those 
heathen, which much damped my spirits 
again. 

The Seventeenth Remove. — A com- 
fortable remove it was to me, because 
of my hopes. They gave me my pack 
and along we went cheerfully. But quickly 
my will proved more than my strength; 
having little or no refreshment my strength 
failed, and my spirits were almost quite 



190 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

gone. At night we came to an Indian 
town, and the Indians sat down by a wig- 
wam discoursing, but I was almost spent 
and could scarce speak. I laid down my 
load and went into the wigwam, and there 
sat an Indian boiling of horse-feet, they 
being wont to eat the flesh first, and when 
the feet were old and dried, and they had 
nothing else, they would cut off the feet and 
use them. I asked him to give me a little of 
his broth, or water they were boiling it in. 
He took a dish and gave me one spoonful of 
samp, and bid me take as much of the broth 
as I would. Then I put some of the hot 
water to the samp, and drank it up, and my 
spirits came again. 

The Eighteenth Remove. — We took 
up our packs, and along we went; but a 
wearisome day I had of it. As we went 
along I saw an Englisliman stripped naked 
and lying dead upon the ground, but knew 
not who he was. Then we came to another 
Indian town where we staid all night. In 



IVmS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 191 

this town there were four EngHsh children 
captives, and one of them my own sister's. 
I went to see how she did, and she was well, 
considering her captive condition. I would 
have tarried that night with her, but they 
that owned her would not suffer it. Then I 
went to another wigwam, where they were 
boiling corn and beans, which was a lovely 
sight to see, but I could not get a taste 
thereof. Then I went home to my mistress's 
wigwam, and they told me I disgraced my 
master with begging, and if I did so any 
more they would knock me on the head. I 
told them they had as good do that as starve 
me to death. 

The Nineteenth Remove. — They said 
when we went out that we must travel to 
Wachusett this day. But a bitter weary 
day I had of it, travelling now three days 
together, without resting any day between. 
Going along, having indeed my life, but 
little spirit, Philip, who was in the company, 
came up, and took me by the hand, and said, 



192 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

"Two weeks more and you shall be mistress 
again." I asked him if he spoke true. He 
said, "Yes, and quickly you shall come to 
your master again ;" who had been gone from 
us three weeks. 

My master had three squaws, living some- 
times with one and sometimes with another : 
Onux, this old squaw at whose wigwam I 
was, and with whom my master had been 
these three weeks. Another was Wettimore, 
with whom I had lived and served all this 
while. A severe and proud dame she was, 
bestowing every day in dressing herself near 
as much time as any of the gentry of the 
land; powdering her hair and painting her 
face, going with her necklaces, with jewels in 
her ears, and bracelets upon her hands. 
When she had dressed herself, her work was 
to make girdles of wampum and beads. The 
third squaw was a younger one, by whom 
he had two papooses. 

By that time I was refreshed by the old 
squaw, Wettimore's maid came to call me 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 193 

home, at which I fell a-weeping. Then the 
old squaw told me, to encourage me, that 
when I wanted victuals I should come to her, 
and that I should lie in her wigwam. Then 
I went with the maid, and quickly I came 
back and lodged there. The squaw laid a 
mat under me, and a good rug over me ; the 
fost time that I had any such kindness 
showed me. I understood that Wettimore 
thought that if she should let me go and 
serve with the old squaw she should be in 
danger to lose not only my service, but the 
redemption-pay also. And I was not a little 
glad to hear this; being by it raised in my 
hopes that in God's due time there would be 
an end of this sorrowful hour. Then came 
an Indian and asked me to knit him three 
pair of stockings, for which I had a hat and 
a silk handkerchief. Then another asked me 
to make her a shift, for which she gave me 
an apron. 

Then came Tom and Peter with the 
second letter from the council, about the caj)- 



194 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

tives. Though they were Indians, I gat 
them by the hand, and burst out into tears; 
my heart was so full that I could not speak 
to them ; but recovering myself, I asked them 
how my husband did, and all my friends and 
acquaintance. They said they were well, 
but very melancholy. The}'' brought me two 
biscuits and a pound of tobacco. The to- 
bacco I soon gave away. When it was all 
gone one asked me to give him a pipe of 
tobacco. I told him it was all gone. Then 
he began to rant and threaten. I told him 
when my husband came I would give him 
some. "Hang him, rogue," says he; "I will 
knock out his brains if he comes here." And 
then again at the same breath they would 
say that if there should come an hundred 
without gmis they would do them no hurt; 
so unstable and like madmen they were. So 
that, fearing the worst, I durst not send to 
my husband, though there were some 
thoughts of his coming to redeem and fetch 
me, not knowing what might follow; for 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 195 

there was little more trust to them than to 
the master they served. 

When the letter was come, the sagamores 
met to consult about the captives, and called 
me to them to inquire how much my husband 
would give to redeem me. When I came I 
sat down among them, as I was wont to do, 
as their manner is. Then they bid me stand 
up, and said they were the general court. 
They bid me speak what I thought he would 
give. Now knowing that all we had was 
destroyed by the Indians, I was in a great 
strait. I thought if I should speak of but 
a little, it would be slighted and hinder the 
matter ; if of a great sum, I knew not where 
it would be procured. Yet at a venture I 
said twenty pounds, yet desired them to take 
less; but they would not hear of that, but 
sent the message to Boston, that for twenty 
pounds I should be redeemed. It was a 
praying Indian that wrote their letters for 
them. 

About that time there came an Indian to 



196 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

me, and bid me come to his wigwam at night, 
and he would give me some pork and ground- 
nuts, which I did; and as I was eating, an- 
other Indian said to me, "He seems to be your 
good friend, but he killed two Englishmen 
at Sudbury,* and there lie the clothes behind 
you." I looked behind me, and there I saw 
bloody clothes, with bullet-holes in them. 
Yet the Lord suffered not this wretch to do 
me any hurt; yea, instead of that, he many 
times refreshed me: five or six times did he 
and his squaw refresh my feeble carcass. If 
I went to their wigwam at any time they 
would always give me something, and yet 
they were strangers that I never saw before. 
Another squaw gave me a piece of fresh 
pork, and a little salt with it, and lent me her 
frying-pan to fry it; and I cannot but re- 
member what a sweet, pleasant, and delight- 
ful relish that bit had to me, to this day. So 
little do we prize common mercies when we 
have them to the full. 

* Sudbury was attacked 21st April. 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 197 

The Twentieth Remo^t:. — It was their 
usual manner to remove when they had done 
any mischief, lest they should be found out ; 
and so they did at this time. We went about 
three or four miles, and there they built a 
great wigwam, big enough to hold an hun- 
dred Indians, which they did in preparation 
to a great day of dancing. They would now 
say among themselves that the governor 
would be so angry for his loss at Sudbury 
that he would send no more about the cap- 
tives, which made me grieve and tremble. 

My sister being not far from this place, 
and hearing that I was here, desired her 
master to let her come and see me, and he 
was willing to it, and would come with her, 
but she, being readj'^ first, told him she would 
go before, and was come within a mile or two 
of the place. Then he overtook her, and be- 
gan to rant as if he had been mad, and made 
her go back again in the rain ; so that I never 
saw her till I saw her in Charlestown. But 
the Lord requited many of their ill doings, 



198 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

for this Indian, her master, was hanged 
afterwards at Boston. 

They began now to come from all quar- 
ters, against their merry dancing day. 
Among some of them came one good-wife 
Kettle. I told her my heart was so heavy 
that it was ready to break. "So is mine 
too," said she, "but yet I hope we shall hear 
some good news shortly." I could hear how 
earnestly my sister desired to see me, and I 
earnestly desired to see her; yet neither of 
us could get an opportunity. ]My daughter 
was now but a mile off, and I had not seen her 
for nine or ten weeks, as I had not seen my 
sister since our first taking. I desired them 
to let me go and see them ; yea, I entreated, 
begged, and persuaded them to let me see 
my daughter, and yet so hard-hearted were 
they that they would not suffer it. They 
made use of their tyrannical power while 
they had it, but through the Lord's wonder- 
ful mercy their time was now but short. 

On a Sabbath day, the sun being about an 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 199 

hoiu' high in the afternoon, came Mr. Jolin 
Hoar (the council permitting him, and his 
own forward spirit inchning him), together 
with the two forementioned Indians, Tom 
and Peter, with the third letter from the 
council. When they came near I was 
abroad. They presently called me in, and 
bid me sit down and not stir. Then they 
catched up their guns and away they ran as 
if an enemy had been at hand, and the guns 
went off apace. I manifested some great 
trouble, and asked them what was the matter. 
I told them I thought they had killed the 
Englisliman (for they had in the meantime 
told me that an Englishman was come). 
They said no; they shot over his horse, and 
under, and before his horse, and they pushed 
him this way and that waiy, at their pleasure, 
showing him what they could do. Then they 
let him come to their wigwams. 

I begged of them to let me see the Eng- 
lishman, but they would not ; but there was I 
fain to sit their pleasure. When they had 



aOO CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

talked their fill with him, they suffered me to 
go to him. We asked each other of our wel- 
fare, and how my husband did, and all my 
friends. He told me they were all well, and 
would be glad to see me. Among other 
things which my husband sent me, there 
came a pound of tobacco, which I sold for 
nine shillings in money; for many of them 
for want of tobacco smoked hemlock and 
ground-i\y. It was a great mistake in any 
who thought I sent for tobacco, for through 
the favor of God that desire was over- 
come. 

I now asked them whether I should go 
home with jMr. Hoar. They answered no, 
one and another of them, and it being late, 
we lay down with that answer. In the 
morning JVIr. Hoar invited the sagamores to 
dinner; but when we went to get it ready, 
we found they had stolen the greatest part 
of the provisions Mr. Hoar had brought. 
And we may see the wonderful power of 
God in that one passage, in that when there 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 201 

was such a number of them together, and so 
greedy of a little good food, and no English 
there but Mr. Hoar and myself, that there 
they did not knock us on the head and take 
what we had ; there being not only some pro- 
vision, but also trading cloth, a part of the 
twenty pounds agreed upon. But instead 
of doing us any mischief, they seemed to be 
ashamed of the fact, and said it was the 
mat chit * Indians that did it. Oh, that we 
could believe that there was nothing too hard 
for God. God showed His power over the 
heathen in this, as He did over the hungry 
lions when Daniel was cast into the den. 

Mr. Hoar called them betime to dinner, 
but they ate but little, they being so busy in 
dressing themselves and getting ready for 
their dance, which was carried on by eight of 
them, four men and four squaws, my master 
and mistress being two. He was dressed in 
his Holland shirt, with great stockings, his 
garters himg round with shillings, and had 

* Wicked. 



202 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

girdles of wamponi upon his head and shoul- 
ders. She had a kersey coat, covered with 
girdles of wamponi from the loins upward. 
Her arms from her elbows to her hands were 
covered with bracelets; there were handfuls 
of necklaces about her neck, and several sorts 
of jewels in her ears. She had fine red 
stockings, and white shoes, her hair pow- 
dered, and her face painted red, that was 
always before black. And all the dancers 
were after the same manner. 

There were two others singing and knock- 
ing on a kettle for their music. They kept 
hopping up and down one after another, with 
a kettle of water in the midst, standing warm 
upon some embers, to drink of when they 
were dry. They held on till almost night, 
throwing out their wampom to the standers- 
by. At night I asked them again if I should 
go home. They all as one said no, except 
my husband would come for me. When we 
were lain down, my master went out of the 
wigwam, and by and by sent in an Indian 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 203 

called James the printer, who told Mr. Hoar 
that my master would let me go home to- 
morrow if he would let him have one pint of 
liquor. Then ]Mr. Hoar called his own In- 
dians, Tom and Peter, and bid them all go 
and see if he would promise it before them 
three, and if he would he should have it ; 
which he did and had it. 

Philij), smelling the business, called me to 
him, and asked me what I would give him to 
tell me some good news, and to speak a good 
word for me, that I might go home to-mor- 
row. I told him I could not tell what to 
give him, I would anything I had, and asked 
him what he would have. He said two coats, 
and twenty shillings in money, half a bushel 
of seed corn, and some tobacco. I thanked 
him for his love, but I knew that good news 
as well as that crafty fox. 

On Tuesday morning they called their 
General Court, as they stjded it, to consult 
and determine whether I should go home or 
no. And they all seemingly consented that 



204. CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

I should go, except Philip, who would not 
come among them. 

At first they were all against it, except my 
husband would come for me ; but afterwards 
they assented to it, and seeming to rejoice in 
it ; some asking me to send them some bread, 
others some tobacco, others shaking me by 
the hand, offering me a hood and scarf to 
ride in; not one moving hand or tongue 
against it. Thus hath the Lord answered 
my poor desires, and the many earnest re- 
quests of others put up unto God for me. 

In my travels an Indian came to me and 
told me, if I were willing, he and his squaw 
would run away, and go home along with me. 
I told them no, I was not willing to run 
away, but desired to wait God's time, that I 
might go home quietly and without fear. 
And now God hath granted me my desire. 
Oh, the wonderful power of God that I have 
seen, and the experiences that I have had! 
I have been in the midst of those roaring 
lions and savage bears that feared neither 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S I^fARRATIVE 205 

God nor man nor the devil, by night and day, 
alone and in company, sleeping all sorts to- 
gether, and yet not one of them ever offered 
the least abuse of imchastity to me in word 
or action; though some are ready to say I 
speak it for my own credit ; but I speak it in 
the presence of God, and to His glory. 
God's power is as great now as it was to 
save Daniel in the lions' den or the three 
children in the fiery furnace. Especially 
that I should come away in the midst of so 
many hundreds of enemies, and not a dog 
move his tongue. 

So I took my leave of them, and in coming 
along my heart melted into tears more than 
all the while I was with them, and I was 
almost swallowed up with the thoughts that 
ever I should go home again. About the 
sun's going down Mr. Hoar, myself, and the 
two Indians came to Lancaster; and a 
solemn sight it was to me. There had I lived 
many comfortable years among my relations 
and neighbors, and now not one Christian to 



206 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

be seen, or one house left standing. We 
went on to a farmhouse that was yet stand- 
ing, where we lay all night ; and a comfort- 
able lodging we had, though nothing but 
straw to lie on. The Lord preserved us in 
safety that night, raised us up again in the 
morning, and carried us along, that before 
noon we came to Concord. Now was I full 
of joy, and yet not without sorrow; joy to 
see such a lovely sight, so many Christians 
together, and some of them my neighbors. 

Being recruited with food and raiment, we 
went to Boston that day, where I met with 
my dear husband; but the thoughts of our 
dear children — one being dead and the other 
we could not tell where — abated our comfort 
in each other. I was not before so much 
hemmed in by the merciless and cruel 
heathen, but now as much with pitiful, ten- 
der-hearted, and compassionate Christians. 
In that poor and beggarly condition I was 
received in I was. kindly entertained in sev- 
eral houses. . . . The twenty pounds, the 



MRS. RO^VLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 207 

price of my redemption, was raised by some 
Boston gentlewomen, and jMr. Usher, whose 
bomity and charity I would not forget to 
make mention of. Then Mr. Thomas 
Shepard, of Charlestown, received us into his 
house, where we continued eleven weeks ; and 
a father and mother they were unto us. 
And many more tender-hearted friends we 
met with in that place. We were now in the 
midst of love, yet not without much and fre- 
quent heaviness of heart for our poor chil- 
dren and other relations who were still in 
affliction. 

The week following, after my coming in, 
the governor and council sent to the Indians 
again, and that not without success ; for they 
brought in my sister and good-wife Kettle. 
About this time the council had ordered a 
day of public thanksgiving, though I had 
still cause of mourning ; and being unsettled 
in our minds, we thought we would ride east- 
ward, to see if we could hear anything con- 
cerning our children. As we were riding 



208 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

along between Ipswich and Rowley we met 
with William Hubbard, who told us our son 
Joseph and my sister's son were come into 
Major Waldren's. I asked him how he 
knew it. He said the major himself told 
him so. So along we went till we came to 
Newbury; and their minister being absent, 
they desired my husband to preach the 
thanksgiving for them ; but he was not will- 
ing to stay there that night, but he would 
go over to Salisbuiy to hear farther, and 
come again in the morning, which he did, and 
preached there that day. 

At night, when he had done, one came and 
told him that his daughter was come into 
Providence. Here was mercy on both 
hands. Now we were between them, the one 
on the east, and the other on the west. Our 
son being nearest, we went to him fost, to 
Portsmouth, where we met with him, and 
with the major also, who told us he had done 
what he could, but could not redeem him 
under seven pounds, which the good people 



MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 209 

thereabouts were pleased to pay. On Mon- 
day we came to Charlestown, where we heard 
that the Governor of Rhode Island had sent 
over for our daughter, to take care of her, 
being now within his jurisdiction; which 
should not pass without our acknowledg- 
ments. But she being nearer Rehoboth than 
Rhode Island, Mr. Newman went over and 
took care of her, and brought her to his own 
house. And the goodness of God was ad- 
mirable to us in our low estate, in that he 
raised up compassionate friends on every 
side, when we had nothing to recompense 
any for their love. Our family being now 
gathered together, the South Church in 
Boston hired a house for us. Then we re- 
moved from Mr. Shepard's (those cordial 
friends) and went to Boston, where we con- 
tinued about three quarters of a year. . . . 



IV 



CAPTURE AND ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON, 

1792 

On the 4th of November, 1791, a force of Americans 
under General Arthur St. Clair was attacked, near the 
present Ohio-Indiana boundary line, by about the same 
number of Indians led by Blue Jacket, Little Turtle, 
and the white renegaci Simon Girty. Their defeat 
was the most disastrous that ever has been suffered 
by our arms when engaged against a savage foe on 
anything like even terms. Out of 86 officers and about 
1400 regular and militia soldiers, St. Clair lost 70 
officers killed or wounded, and 845 men killed, wounded, 
or missing. The survivors fled in panic, throwing 
away their weapons and accoutrements. Such was "St. 
Clair's defeat." 

The utter incompetency of the officers commanding 
this expedition may be judged from the single fact 
that a great number of women were allowed to ac- 
company the troops into a wilderness known to be 
infested with the worst kind of savages. There were 
about 250 of these women with the "army" on the day 
of the battle. Of these, 56 were killed on the spot, 
many being pinned to the earth by stakes driven 
210 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 211 

through their bodies. Few of the others escaped cap- 
tivity. 

After this unprecedented victory, the Indians became 
more troublesome than ever along the frontier. No 
settler's home was safe, and many were destroyed in 
the year of terror that followed. The awful fate of 
one of those households is told in the following touch- 
ing narrative of Mercy Harbison, wife of one of the 
survivors of St. Clair's defeat. How two of her little 
children were slaughtered before her eyes, how she 
was dragged through the wilderness with a babe at 
her breast, how cruelly maltreated, and hcv/ she finally 
escaped, barefooted and carrying her infant through 
days and nights of almost superhuman exertion, she 
has left record in a deposition before the magistrates 
at Pittsburgh and in the statement here reprinted. 
(Editor.) 

ON the return of my husband from 
General St. Clang's defeat, and on 
his recovery from the wound he 
received in the battle, he was made a spy, 
and ordered to the woods on duty, about the 
23d of March, 1792. The appointment of 
spies to watch the movements of the savages 
was so consonant with the desires and in- 
terests of the inhabitants that the frontiers 
now resimied the appearance of quiet and 



212 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

confidence. Those who had for nearly a 
year been huddled together in the block- 
houses were scattered to their own habita- 
tions, and began the cultivation of their 
farms. The spies saw nothing to alarm 
them, or to induce them to apprehend 
danger, until the fatal morning of my cap- 
tivity. They repeatedly came to our house 
to receive refreshments and to lodge. 

On the 15th of May my husband, with 
Captain Guthrie and other spies, came home 
about dark and wanted supper; to procure 
which I requested one of the spies to accom- 
pany me to the spring and spring-house, and 
William Maxwell complied with my request. 
While at the spring and spring-house we 
both distinctly heard a sound like the bleat- 
ing of a lamb or fawn. This greatly 
alarmed us and induced us to make a hasty 
retreat into the house. Whether this was an 
Indian decoy, or a warning of what I was to 
pass through, I am unable to determine. 
But from this time and circumstance I be- 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 213 

came considerably alarmed, and entreated 
my husband to remove me to some place 
more secure from Indian cruelties. But 
Providence had designed that I should be- 
come a victim to their rage, and that mercy 
should be made manifest in my deliverance. 

On the night of the 21st of May two of 
the spies, Mr. James Davis and Mr. Sutton, 
came to lodge at our house, and on the morn- 
ing of the 22d, at daybreak, when the horn 
blew at the blockhouse, which was within 
sight of our house and distant about two hun- 
dred yards, the two men got up and went 
out. I was also awake, and saw the door 
open, and thought, after I was taken pris- 
oner, that the scouts had left it open. I in- 
tended to rise immediately, but having a child 
at the breast, and it being awakened, I lay 
with it at the breast to get it to sleep again, 
and accidentally fell asleep myself. The 
spies have since informed me that they re- 
turned to the house again, and found that I 
was sleeping; that they softly fastened the 



214 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

door and went immediately to the block- 
house, and those who examined the house 
after the scene was over say that both doors 
had the appearance of being broken open. 

The first thing I knew from falling asleep 
was the Indians pulling me out of bed by my 
feet. I then looked up and saw the house 
full of Indians, every one having his gun in 
his left hand and tomahawk in his right. 
Beholding the danger in which I was, I im- 
mediately jumped to the floor on my feet, 
with the young child in m}^ arms. I then 
took a petticoat to put on, having on only 
the one in which I slept ; but the Indians took 
it from me, and as many as I attempted to 
put on they succeeded in taking from me, 
so that I had to go just as I had been in bed. 
While I was struggling with some of the 
savages for clothing, others of them went and 
took the children out of another bed, and im- 
mediately took the two feather beds to the 
door and emptied them. 

The savages immediately began their work 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 215 

of plunder and devastation. What they 
were unable to carry with them they de- 
stroyed. While they were at their work, I 
made to the door, and succeeded in getting 
out with one child in my arms and another 
by my side; but the other little boy was so 
much displeased by being so early disturbed 
in the morning that he would not come to 
the door. 

When I got out I saw Mr. Wolf, one of 
the soldiers, going to the spring for water, 
and beheld two or three of the savages at- 
tempting to get between him and the block- 
house ; but Mr. Wolf was unconscious of his 
danger, for the savages had not yet been dis- 
covered. I then gave a terrific scream, by 
which means JNIr. Wolf discovered his 
danger and started to run for the block- 
house. Seven or eight of the Indians fired 
at him, but the only injury he received was 
a bullet in his arm, which broke it. He suc- 
ceeded in making his escape to the block- 
house. When I raised the alarm, one of the 



216 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

Indians came up to me with his tomahawk 
as though about to take my Hfe; a second 
came and placed his hand before my mouth 
and told me to hush, when a third came with 
a lifted tomahawk and attempted to give me 
a blow; but the first that came raised his 
tomahawk and averted the blow, and claimed 
me as his squaw. 

The commissary, with his waiter, slept in 
the storehouse near the blockhouse; and, 
upon hearing the report of the guns, came 
to the door to see what was the matter ; and, 
beholding the danger he was in, made his 
escape to the blockliouse; but not without 
being discovered by the Indians, several of 
whom fired at him, and one of the bullets 
went through his handkerchief, which was 
tied about his head, and took off some of his 
hair. The handkerchief, with several bullet- 
holes in it, he afterwards gave to me. 

The waiter, on coming to the door, was 
met by the Indians, who fired upon him, and 
he received two bullets through the body and 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 217 

fell dead by the door. The savages then 
set up one of their tremendous and terrify- 
ing yells, and pushed forward and attempted 
to scalp the man they had killed; but they 
were prevented from executing their diabol- 
ical purpose by the heavy fire which was kept 
up through the portholes from the block- 
house. 

In this scene of horror and alarm I began 
to meditate an escape, and for that purpose 
I attempted to direct the attention of the In- 
dians from me and to fix it on the block- 
house, and thought if I could succeed in this 
I would retreat to a subterranean cave with 
which I was acquainted, which was in the run 
near where we were. For this purpose I 
began to converse with some of those who 
were near me respecting the strength of the 
blockliouse, the number of men in it, etc., and 
being informed that there were forty men 
there, and that they were excellent marks- 
men, the savages immediately came to the 
determination to retreat, and for this pur- 



218 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

pose they ran to those who were besieging 
the blockhouse and brought them away. 

They then began to flog me with their 
wiping sticks, and to order me along. Thus 
what I intended as the means of my escape 
was the means of accelerating my departure 
in the hands of the savages. But it was no 
doubt ordered by a kind Providence for the 
preservation of the fort and the inhabitants 
in.it; for when the savages gave up the at- 
tack and retreated, some of the men in the 
fort had the last load of ammunition in their 
guns, and there was no possibility of pro- 
curing more, for it was all fastened up in the 
storehouse, which was inaccessible. 

The Indians, when they had flogged me 
away with them, took my oldest boy, a lad 
about five years of age, along with them, for 
he was still at the door by my side. My 
middle little boy, who was about three years 
of age, had by this time obtained a situation 
by the fire in the house, and was crying bit- 
terly to me not to go, and making sore com- 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 219 

plaints of the depredations of the savages. 
But these monsters were not willing to let 
the child remain behind them ; they took him 
by the hand to drag him along with them, 
but he was so very unwilling to go, and made 
such a noise by crying, that they took him 
up by his feet and dashed his brains out 
against the threshold of the door. They 
then scalped and stabbed him, and left him 
for dead. When I witnessed this inhmnan 
butchery of my own child I gave a most in- 
describable and terrific scream, and felt a 
dimness come over my ej^es, next to blind- 
ness, and my senses were nearly gone. The 
savages then gave me a blow across my head 
and face and brought me to my sight and 
recollection again. During the whole of this 
agonizing scene I kept my infant in my arms. 
As soon as the murder was effected they 
marched me along to the top of the bank, 
about forty or sixty rods, and there they 
stopped and divided the plunder which they 
had taken from our house, and here I 



220 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

counted their number and found them to be 
thirty-two, two of whom were white men 
painted as Indians. Several of the Indians 
could speak English well. I Imew several 
of them well, having seen them going up and 
down the Alleghany Kiver. I knew two of 
them to be from the Seneca tribe of Indians, 
and two of them Munsees; for they had 
called at the shop to get their guns repaired, 
and I saw them there. 

We went from this place about forty rods, 
and they then caught my uncle Jolin Currie's 
horses, and two of them, into whose custody 
I was put, started with me on the horses to- 
wards the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, and 
the rest of them went off towards Puckety. 
When they came to the bank that descended 
towards the Alleghany it was so very steep, 
and there appeared so much danger in de- 
scending it on horseback that I threw myself 
off the horse, in opposition to the will and 
command of the savages. 

My horse descended without falling, but 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 221 

the one on which the Indian rode who had 
my httle boy, in descending, fell and rolled 
over repeatedly ; and my little boy fell back 
over the horse, but was not materially 
injured; he was taken up by one of the In- 
dians, and we got to the bank of the river, 
where they had secreted some bark canoes 
under the rocks, opposite the island that lies 
between the Kiskiminetas and Buffalo. 
They attempted, in vain, to make the horses 
take the river, and had to leave the horses 
behind them, and took us in one of the canoes 
to the point of the island, and there left the 
canoe. 

Here I beheld another hard scene, for as 
soon as we landed, my little boy, who was 
still mourning and lamenting about his little 
brother, and who complained that he was in- 
jured by the fall in descending the bank, was 
murdered. One of the Indians ordered me 
along, probably that I should not see the 
horrid deed about to be perpetrated. The 
other then took liis tomahawk from his side. 



222 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

and with this instrument of death killed and 
scalped him. When I beheld this second 
scene of inhuman butchery I fell to the 
ground senseless, with my infant in my arms, 
it being under and its little hands in the hair 
of my head. How long I remained in this 
state of insensibility I know not. 

The first thing I remember was my raising 
my head from the ground and feeling my- 
self exceedingly overcome with sleep. I cast 
my eyes around and saw the scalp of my dear 
little boy, fresh bleeding from his head, in 
the hand of one of the savages, and sank 
down to the earth again upon my infant 
child. The first thing I remember, after 
witnessing this spectacle of woe, was the 
severe blows I was receiving from the hands 
of the savages, though at that time I was un- 
conscious of the injury I was sustaining. 
After a severe castigation, they assisted me 
in getting up, and supported me when up. 
The scalp of my little boy was hid from my 
view, and in order to bring me to my senses 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 223 

again they took me back to the river and led 
me in knee-deep ; this had its intended effect. 
But, "the tender mercies of the wicked are 
cruel." 

We now proceeded on our journey by 
crossing the island, and coming to a shallow 
place where we could wade out, and so arrive 
at the Indian side of the country. Here 
they pushed nie in the river before them, and 
had to conduct me through it. The water 
was up to my breast, but I suspended my 
child above the water, and, with the assist- 
ance of the savages, got safely out. Thence 
we rapidly proceeded forward, and came to 
Big Buffalo ; here the stream was very rapid 
and the Indians had again to assist me. 
When we had crossed this creek, we made a 
straight course to the Connoquenessing 
Creek, the very place where Butler, Pa., now 
stands; and thence we travelled five or six 
miles to Little Buffalo, which we crossed. 

I now felt weary of my life, and had a 
full determination to make the savages kill 



^M CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

me, thinking that death would be exceed- 
ingly welcome when compared to the fatigue, 
cruelties, and miseries I had the prospect of 
enduring. To have my purpose effected I 
stood still, one of the savages being before 
me, and the other walking behind me, and I 
took from off my shoulder a large powder- 
horn they made me carry, in addition to my 
child, who was one year and four days old. 
I threw the horn on the ground, closed my 
eyes, and expected every moment to feel the 
deadly tomahawk. But to my surprise the 
Indian took it up, cursed me bitterly, and 
put it on my shoulder again. I took it off 
the second time, and threw it on the ground, 
and again closed my eyes, with the assurance 
I should meet death ; but instead of this, the 
Indian again took up the horn, and with an 
indignant, frightful countenance, came and 
placed it on again. I took it off the third 
time, and was determined to effect it, and, 
therefore, threw it as far as I was able from 
me, over the rocks. The savage immediately 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 225 

went after it, while the one who had claimed 
me as his squaw, and who had stood and wit- 
nessed the transaction, came up to me and 
said: "Well done; you did right and are a 
good squaw, and the other is a lazy son-of-a- 
gun; he may carry it himself." 

The savages now changed their position, 
and the one who claimed me as his squaw 
went behind. This movement, I believe, 
was to prevent the other from doing me any 
injury; and we went on till we struck the 
Connoquenessing at the Salt Lick, about two 
miles above Butler, where was an Indian 
camp, where we arrived a little before dark, 
having no refreshment during the day. The 
camp was made of stakes driven into the 
ground, sloping, and covered with chestnut 
bark, and appeared sufficiently long for fifty 
men. The camp appeared to have been 
occupied for some time; it was very much 
trodden, and large beaten paths went out 
from it in different directions. 

That night they took me about three hun- 



226 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

dred yards from the camp, up a rmi, into a 
large, dark bottom, where they cut the brush 
in a thicket and placed a blanket on the 
ground and permitted me to sit down with 
my child. They then pinioned my arms 
back, only with a little liberty, so that it was 
with difficulty that I managed my child. 
Here, in this dreary situation, without fire 
or refresliment, having an infant to take care 
of, and my arms bound behind me, and hav- 
ing a savage on ea:!i side of me who had 
killed two of my dear children that day, I 
had to pass the first night of my captivity. 

But the trials and tribulations of the day 
I had passed had so completely exhausted 
nature that, notwithstanding my unpleasant 
situation, and my determination to escape, if 
possible, I insensibly fell asleep, and re- 
peatedly dreamed of my escape and safe 
arrival in Pittsburgh, and several things re- 
lating to the town, of which I knew nothing 
at the time, but found to be true when I 
arrived there. The first night passed away 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 227 

and I found no means of escape, for the 
savages kept watch the whole of the night 
without any sleep. 

In the morning one of them left us to 
watch the trail we had come, to see if any 
white people were pursuing us. During the 
absence of the Indian, the one that claimed 
and remained with me, and who was the mur- 
derer of my last boy, took from his bosom 
his scalp, and prepared a hoop and stretched 
the scalp upon it. Those mothers who have 
not seen the like done to one of the scalps of 
their own children will be able to form but 
faint ideas of the feelings which then har- 
rowed up my soul. I meditated revenge! 
While he was in the very act I attempted to 
take his tomahawk, which hung by his side 
and rested on the ground, and had nearly 
succeeded, and was, as I thought, about to 
give the fatal blow, when, alas! I was de- 
tected. 

The savage felt at his tomahawk handle, 
tm'ned upon me, cursed me and told me I 



228 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

was a Yankee; thus insinuating he under- 
stood my intention, and to prevent me from 
doing so again, faced me. My excuse to 
him for handhng his tomahawk was, that my 
child wanted to play with the handle of it. 
The savage who went upon the lookout in 
the morning came back about twelve 
o'clock, and had discovered no pursuers. 
Then the one who had been guarding me 
went out on the same errand. The savage 
who was now my guard began to examine 
me about the white people, the strength of 
the armies going against the Indians, etc., 
and boasted largely of their achievements 
in the preceding fall, at the defeat of Gen- 
eral St. Clair. 

He then examined the plunder which he 
had brought from our house the day before. 
He found my pocket-book and money 
among his plunder. There were ten dollars 
in silver and a half-guinea in gold in the 
book. During this day they gave me a piece 
of dried venison, about the bulk of an egg, 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 229 

and a piece about the same size the day we 
were marching, for my support and that of 
my child ; but, owing to the blows I had re- 
ceived from them on the jaws, I was unable 
to eat a bit of it. I broke it up and gave it 
to the child. 

The savage on the lookout returned about 
dark. This evening (Monday, the 23d) 
they moved me to another station in the same 
valley, and secured me as they did the pre- 
ceding night. Thus I found myself the 
second night between two Indians, without 
fire and refreshment. During this night I 
was frequently asleep, notwithstanding my 
unpleasant situation, and as often dreamed 
of my arrival in Pittsburgh. 

Early on the morning of the 24th a flock 
of mocking-birds and robins hovered over us 
as we lay in our uncomfortable bed ; and sang 
and said, at least to my imagination, that I 
was to get up and go off. As soon as day 
broke, one of the Indians went off again to 
watch the trail, as on the preceding day, and 



230 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

he who was left to take care of me appeared 
to be sleeping. When I perceived this I lay 
still and began to snore, as though asleep, 
and he also fell asleep. Then I concluded it 
was time to escape. I found it impossible 
to injure him for my child at the breast, as 
I could not effect anything without putting 
the child down, and then it would cry and 
give the alarm; so I contented myself with 
taking, from a pillow-case of plunder stolen 
from our house, a short gown, handkerchief, 
and child's frock, and so made my escape; 
the sun then being about half an hour high. 

I struck the Connoquenessing, and went 
down stream until about two o'clock in the 
afternoon, over rocks, precipices, thorns, 
briers, etc., with my bare feet and legs. I 
then discovered I was on the wrong course, 
and waited till the North Star appeared. 
Marking out the direction for the next day, 
I collected a bed of leaves, laid down and 
slept, though my feet, being full of thorns, 
began to be exceedingly painful, and I had 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 231 

nothing for self or babe to eat. The next 
morning I started early, nothing material 
occurring. Towards evening a gentle rain 
came on, and I began to prepare my leaf 
bed, setting the child down the while, who 
began to cry. Fearful of the consequences, 
I put him to the breast and he became quiet. 
I then listened and distinctly heard foot- 
steps. The ground over which I had 
travelled was soft and my foot traces had 
been followed. 

Greatly alarmed, I looked about for a 
place of safety, and providentially discovered 
a large tree which had fallen, into the top of 
which I crept. The darkness greatly as- 
sisted me and prevented detection. The 
savage who followed me had heard the cry 
of the child and came to the very spot where 
it had cried, and there he halted, put down 
his gun, and was at this time so near that I 
heard the wiping stick strike against his gun 
distinctly. My getting in under the tree 
and sheltering myself from the rain, and 



232 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

pressing my boy to my bosom, got him warm, 
and, most providentially, he fell asleep, and 
lay very still during that time of extreme 
danger. All was still and quiet ; the savage 
was listening to hear again the cry. My 
own heart was the only thing I feared, and 
that beat so loud that I was apprehensive it 
would betray me. It is almost impossible to 
conceive the wonderful effect my situation 
produced upon my whole sj'^stem. 

After the savage had stood and listened 
with nearly the stillness of death for two 
hours, the sound of a bell and a cry like that 
of a night owl, signals which were given to 
him by his companions, induced him to an- 
swer, and after he had given a most horrid 
yell, which was calculated to harrow up my 
soul, he started and went off to join them. 
After his retreat, I concluded it unsafe to 
remain there till morning. 

But by this time nature was so nearly ex- 
hausted that I found some difficulty in mov- 
ing ; yet, compelled bj^ necessity, I threw my 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 233 

coat about my child and placed the end be- 
tween my teeth, and with one arm and my 
teeth I carried him, and with the other 
groped my waj^ between the trees and 
travelled on, as I supposed, a mile or two, 
and there sat down at the root of a tree till 
morning. The night was cold and wet, and 
thus terminated the fourth day-and-night's 
difficulties, trials, and dangers ! 

The fifth day, wet, exhausted, hungry, and 
wretched, I started from my resting-place as 
soon as I could see my way, and on that 
morning struck the head-waters of Pine 
Creek, which falls into the Alleghany about 
four miles above Pittsburgh ; though I knew 
not then what waters they were; I crossed 
them, and on the opposite bank I found a 
path, and on it two moccason tracks, fresh 
indented. This alarmed me; but as they 
were before me, and travelling in the same 
direction as I was, I concluded I could see 
them as soon as they could see me, and, there- 
fore, I pressed on in that path for about 



234 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

three miles, when I came to where another 
branch emptied into the creek, where was a 
hunter's camp, where the two men, whose 
tracks I had before discovered and followed, 
had breakfasted and left the fire burning. 

I became more alarmed, and determined 
to leave the path. I then crossed a ridge 
towards Squaw Run, and came upon a trail. 
Here I stopped and meditated what to do; 
and while I was thus musing I saw three deer 
coming towards me at full speed ; they turned 
to look at their pursuers ; I looked too, with 
all attention, and saw the flash and heard the 
report of a gun. I saw some dogs start after 
them, and began to look about for shelter, 
and immediately made for a large log to hide 
myself. Providentially I did not go clear 
to the log; for as I put my hand to the 
ground, to raise myself so that I might see 
who and where the hunters were, I saw a 
large heap of rattlesnakes, the top one being 
very large, and coiled up very near my face, 
and quite ready to bite me. 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 235 

I again left my course, bearing to the left, 
and came upon the head-waters of Squaw 
Run, and kept down the run the remainder 
of that day. It rained, and I was in a very 
deplorable situation; so cold and shivering 
were my limbs, that frequently, in opposition 
to all my struggles, I gave an involuntary 
groan. I suffered intensely from hunger, 
though my jaws were so far recovered that, 
wherever I could, I procured grape-vines, 
and chewed them for a little sustenance. In 
the evening I came within one mile of the 
Alleghany River, though I was ignorant of 
it at the time; and there, at the root of a 
tree, through a most tremendous rain, I took 
up my fifth night's lodgings. In order to 
shelter my infant as much as possible, I 
placed him in my lap, and then leaned my 
head against the tree, and thus let the rain 
fall upon me. 

On the sixth (that was the Sabbath) 
morning from my captivity, I found myself 
unable, for a very considerable time, to raise 



236 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

myself from the ground; and when I had 
once more, by hard struggHng, got myself 
upon my feet and started, nature was so 
nearly exhausted and my spirits were so com- 
j^letely depressed that my progress was 
amazingly slow and discouraging. In this 
almost helpless condition I had not gone far 
before I came to a path where there had been 
cattle travelling ; I took it, under the impres- 
sion that it would lead me to the abode of 
some white people, and in about a mile I 
came to an uninhabited cabin, and though I 
was in a river bottom, yet I loiew not where 
I was nor yet on what river bank I had 
come. 

Here I was seized with feelings of despair, 
went to the threshold of the cabin and con- 
cluded that I would enter and lie down and 
die, since death would have been an angel of 
mercy to me in such a miserable situation. 
Had it not been for the sufferings which my 
infant, who would survive me some time, 
must endure, I would have carried my de- 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 237 

termination into execution. Here I heard 
the sound of a cow-bell, which imparted a 
gleam of hope to my des^Donding mind. I 
followed the sound till I came opposite the 
fort at the Six Mile Island, where I saw 
three men on the opposite bank of the river. 

My feelings then can be better imagined 
than described. I called to them, but they 
seemed unwilling to risk the danger of com- 
ing after me, and asked who I was. I told 
them, and they requested me to walk up the 
bank awhile that they might see if Indians 
were making a decoy of me ; but I replied my 
feet were so sore I could not walk. Then 
one of them, James Closier, got into a canoe 
to fetch me over, while the other two stood 
with cocked rifles ready to fire on the In- 
dians, provided they were using me as a de- 
coy. When Mr. Closier came near and saw 
my haggard and dejected appearance, he ex- 
claimed, "Who in the name of God are 
you?" This man was one of my nearest 
neighbors, yet in six days I was so much 



238 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

altered that he did not know me, either by 
my voice or comitenance. 

When I landed on the inhabited side of 
the river the people from the fort came run- 
ning out to see me. They took the child 
from me, and now that I felt safe from all 
danger, I found myself unable to move or 
to assist myself in any degree, whereupon 
the people took me and carried me out of the 
boat to the house of Mr. Cortus. 

Now that I felt secure from the cruelties 
of the barbarians, for the first time since my 
captivity, my feelings returned in all their 
poignancy and the tears flowed freely, im- 
parting a happiness beyond what I ever ex- 
perienced. When I was taken into the 
house the heat of the fire and the smell 
of victuals, of both of which I had so long 
been deprived, caused me to faint. Some of 
the people attempted to restore me and some 
to put clothes on me, but their kindness 
would have killed me had it not been for the 
arrival of Major McCully, who then com- 



ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 239 

manded along the river. When he under- 
stood my situation, and saw the provisions 
they were preparing for me, he was greatly 
alarmed ; ordered me out of the house, away 
from the heat and smell ; prohibited me from 
taking anything but a very little whey of 
buttermilk, which he administered with his 
own hands. Through this judicious man- 
agement I was mercifully restored to my 
senses and gradually to health and strength. 

Two of the females, Sarah Carter and 
Mary Ann Crozier, then began to take out 
the thorns from my feet and legs, which Mr. 
Felix Negley stood by and counted to the 
number of one hundred and fifty, though 
they were not all extracted at that time, for 
the next evening, at Pittsburgh, there were 
many more taken out. The flesh was man- 
gled dreadfully, and the skin and flesh were 
hanging in pieces on my feet and legs. The 
wounds were not healed for a considerable 
time. Some of the thorns went through my 
feet and came out at the top. For two 



240 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS 

weeks I was unable to put my feet to the 
ground to walk. The next morning a young 
man employed by the magistrates of Pitts- 
burgh came for me to go immediately to 
town to give in my deposition, that it might 
be published to the American people. Some 
of the men carried me into a canoe, and when 
I arrived I gave my deposition. As the in- 
telligence spread, Pittsburgh, and the coun- 
try for twenty miles around, was all in a 
state of commotion. The same evening my 
husband came to see me, and soon after I was 
taken back to Coe's Station. In the evening 
I gave an account of the murder of my boy 
on the island, and the next morning a scout 
went out and found the body and buried it, 
nine days after the murder. 



THE END 



BC 10^ 



OUTING 
A D VEN TUR E 
LIBRARY 

Edited by Horace Kephart 

^ Here are brought together for the first time the great stories of 
adventure of all ages and countries. These are the personal records 
of the men who climbed the mountains and penetrated the jungles; 
who explored the seas and crossed the deserts; who knew the 
chances and took them, and lived to write their own tales of hard- 
ship and endurance and achievement. The series will consist of 
an indeterminate number of volumes — for the stories are myriad. 
The whole will be edited by Horace Kephart. Each volume 
answers the test of these two questions : Is it true ? le it interesting? 
^ The entire series is uniform in style and binding. Among the 
titles now ready or in preparation are those described on the fol 
lowing pages. 

PRICE $1.00 EACH, NET. POSTAGE 10 CENTS EXTRA 
THE NUMBERS MAKE ORDERING CONVENIENT 

1. IN THE OLD WEST, by George Frederick 
Ruxton. The men who blazed the trail across the Rockies to the 
Pacific were the independent trappers and hunters in the days 
before the Mexican war. They left no records of their adventures 
and most of them linger now only as shadowy names. But a young 
Englishman lived among them for a time, saw life from their point 
of view, trapped with them and fought with them against the 
Indians. That was George Frederick Ruxton. His story is our 
only complete picture of the Old West in the days of the real 
Pioneers, of Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, Bill Williams, the Sublettes, 
and all the rest of that glorious company of the forgottea who 
opened the West. 



2. CASTAWAYS AND CRUSOES. Since the begin- 
nings of navigation men have faced the dangers of ehipwreck 
and starvation. Scattered through the annals of the sea are the 
stories of those to whom disaster came and the personal records of 
the way they met it. Some of them are given in this volume, narra- 
tives of men who lived by their hands among savages and on forlorn 
coasts, or drifted helpless in open boats. They range from the 
South Seas to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, from the iron coast of Pata- 
gonia to the shores of Cuba. They are echoes from the days when 
the best that could be hoped by the man who went to sea was hard- 
ship and man's-sized work. 

3, CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS. First of all 

is the story of Captain James Smith, who was captured by the Dela- 
wares at the time of Braddock's defeat, was adopted into the tribe, 
and for four years lived as an Indian, hunting with them, studying 
their habits, and learning their point of view. Then there is the 
story of Father Bressani who felt the tortures of the Iroquois, of 
Mary Rowlandson who was among the human spoils of King 
Philip's war, and of Mercy Harbison who suflfered in the red flood 
that followed St. Clair's defeat. All are personal records made by 
the actors themselves in those days when the Indian was constantly 
at our forefathers's doors. 



4. FIRST THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON, by 

Major John Wesley Powell. Major Powell was an officer in the 
Union Army who lost an arm at Shiloh. In spite of this four years 
after the war he organized an expedition which explored the Grand 
Canyon of the Colorado in boats — the first to make this journey. His 
story has been lost for years in the oblivion of a scientific report. 
It is here rescued and presented as a record of one of the great 
personal exploring feats, fitted to rank with the exploits of Pike, 
Lewis and Clark, and Mackenzie. 

5. ADRIFT IN THE ARCTIC ICE-PACK, By 

Elisha Kent Kane, M. D. Out of the many expeditions that 
went north in search of Sir John Franklin over fifty years ago, it fell 
to the lot of one, financed by a New York merchant, to spend an 
Arctic winter drifting aimlessly in the grip of the Polar ice in Lan- 
caster Sound. The surgeon of the expedition kept a careful diary 
and out of that record told the first complete story of a Far Northern 
winter. That story is here presented, shorn of the purely scientific 
data and stripped to the personal exploits and adventures of the 
author and the other members of the crew. 



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